<p>The night temperature across Kashmir division, except Qazigund, went down as the weather remained dry, leading to opening of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway a day after snowfall led to its closure.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The National Highway has been opened for one-way traffic today, an official of the Traffic department said, adding however, only light motor vehicles were allowed to ply.<br /><br />He said only one-way traffic from Jammu towards Srinagar, has been allowed on the nearly 300 km long arterial road, the only all-weather road-link connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.<br /><br />The highway was closed yesterday following snowfall which had rendered the road slippery.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the weather stayed mostly dry across the Valley last night but the Meteorological Department (MeT) has forecast rains or snow over five days from today.<br /><br />It has warned of moderate to heavy snowfall from tomorrow till Thursday and the forecast has prompted the divisional administration to issue directions for taking precautionary measures.<br /><br />The night temperature across the Valley, except Qazigund town, dipped last night with Srinagar registering a drop of nearly three degrees from the previous night's low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius to settle at a low of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius, a MeT official said.<br /><br />Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, in south registered a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, up from minus 4.2 degrees Celsius yesterday.<br /><br />The official said the famous health resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of minus 7.2 degrees, up from the previous night's minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.<br /><br />The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, recorded a low of minus 8.6 degrees, against minus 6.0 degrees Celsius yesterday.<br /><br />He said the resort was the coldest recorded place in the Valley. @Body:<br /> <br />Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, while the mercury in Kokernag town in south Kashmir dipped two degrees from the yesterday's low of minus 4.4 degrees to settle at a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, he said.<br /><br />Leh town of Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 8.7 degrees Celsius, the official said.<br /><br />Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' considered the harshest period of winter, when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.<br /><br />The Valley has already experienced heavy snowfall twice during this period so far, first one of January 6 and then on January 16, throwing life out of gear on both the occasions.<br /><br />'Chillai-Kalan', which, began on December 21 last year, ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that.<br /><br />The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold). <br /></p>
<p>The night temperature across Kashmir division, except Qazigund, went down as the weather remained dry, leading to opening of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway a day after snowfall led to its closure.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The National Highway has been opened for one-way traffic today, an official of the Traffic department said, adding however, only light motor vehicles were allowed to ply.<br /><br />He said only one-way traffic from Jammu towards Srinagar, has been allowed on the nearly 300 km long arterial road, the only all-weather road-link connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.<br /><br />The highway was closed yesterday following snowfall which had rendered the road slippery.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the weather stayed mostly dry across the Valley last night but the Meteorological Department (MeT) has forecast rains or snow over five days from today.<br /><br />It has warned of moderate to heavy snowfall from tomorrow till Thursday and the forecast has prompted the divisional administration to issue directions for taking precautionary measures.<br /><br />The night temperature across the Valley, except Qazigund town, dipped last night with Srinagar registering a drop of nearly three degrees from the previous night's low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius to settle at a low of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius, a MeT official said.<br /><br />Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, in south registered a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, up from minus 4.2 degrees Celsius yesterday.<br /><br />The official said the famous health resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of minus 7.2 degrees, up from the previous night's minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.<br /><br />The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, recorded a low of minus 8.6 degrees, against minus 6.0 degrees Celsius yesterday.<br /><br />He said the resort was the coldest recorded place in the Valley. @Body:<br /> <br />Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, while the mercury in Kokernag town in south Kashmir dipped two degrees from the yesterday's low of minus 4.4 degrees to settle at a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, he said.<br /><br />Leh town of Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 8.7 degrees Celsius, the official said.<br /><br />Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' considered the harshest period of winter, when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.<br /><br />The Valley has already experienced heavy snowfall twice during this period so far, first one of January 6 and then on January 16, throwing life out of gear on both the occasions.<br /><br />'Chillai-Kalan', which, began on December 21 last year, ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that.<br /><br />The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold). <br /></p>