Kashmir undergoes intense cold as Chillai Kalan begins

As the 40-day long harshest period of winter locally known as the "Chillai Kalan" began in the Kashmir on Friday, the intense cold wave continued across the Valley and Ladakh region.

The minimum temperature usually dips below freezing point during “Chillai Kalan” from December 21 to January 30. The gap between the day and night temperatures also narrows and, sometimes, the maximum temperature also remains below freezing point.

A MeT Department official said Srinagar recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday night compared to minus 4.8 degrees previous night. The minimum temperature in south Kashmir’s tourist resort of Pahalgam, which serves as a base camp during annual Amarnath yatra, was minus 7.5 degrees Celsius while it was slightly better in north Kashmir’s ski resort of Gulmarg at minus 6.0 degrees Celsius, he said.

Leh town in frontier Ladakh region witnessed minus 12.7 degrees Celsius as against previous night’s minus 14.7 degrees while in nearby Kargil district, the mercury overnight fell to bone-chilling minus 15.1 degree Celsius, he said. Kargil was the coldest recorded places in the state.

The minimum temperature in Ladakh region usually hovers many degrees below the freezing point during winter months plunging to as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius at times. The region remains cut off from rest of the state for most of the winter as heavy snow along the Srinagar-Leh road shuts the access to this vast mountainous region.

The Met office has forecast cold and dry weather at least for the next seven days till December 28.