Mercury dips below freezing point in most places across Jammu and Kashmir

Mercury dipped below freezing point at most places in Jammu and Kashmir, but stayed well above it in Srinagar and Kupwara, even as another western disturbance is expected to hit the Valley later this week, officials said on Tuesday.

Srinagar recorded a low of 1.8 degrees Celsius Monday night, up from 0.9 degrees the night before, they said.

Qazigund, the gateway to the Valley, registered a minimum of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3.6 degrees, the officials said.

The mercury in Kupwara, a frontier district, settled above the freezing point at a low of 2.7 degrees. The tourist resort town of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, which also serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of minus 3.2 degrees Celsius – down from minus 0.7 degrees.

The minimum temperature in Gulmarg in Baramulla district was at minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, they said.

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The day temperature across the Valley remained low for the second consecutive day as the mercury failed to breach the 10 degree Celsius-mark at all the weather stations.

Meanwhile, the MeT office said moderate snowfall is very likely at many places over the higher reaches. The plains in the Valley are expected to receive light to moderate snow. Light snowfall, with rains in plains of Jammu, is likely at many places in J-K, it said.

While the weather will stay cloudy on Tuesday and Wednesday, widespread moderate snowfall with rains in plains of Jammu and heavy snowfall over the higher reaches, is possible over two days after that, the weatherman said.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai Kalan', the 40-day harshest weather period when the chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent.

Chillai Kalan begins on December 21 and ends on January 30. The cold wave continues even after that with a 20-day-long 'Chillai Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day-long 'Chillai Bachha' (baby cold) following it.