There was slight improvement in cold conditions in Kashmir because the minimum temperature rose across the valley on Thursday, whilst the MET Office forecast the likelihood of sunshine snow over two days from Saturday.
The night temperature marked an improvement but continued to settle below the melting point , MET officials said.
The weather has remained dry and cold across Kashmir since the snowfall on December 12, with the night temperature staying several degrees below the melting point , they said.
The officials said Srinagar the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recorded a coffee of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius up from the previous night’s minus 5 degrees Celsius.
They said the mercury in Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir went up from the previous night’s low of minus 6.6 degrees Celsius to settle at a coffee of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.
They said the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg, in north Kashmir, recorded a coffee of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius slightly up from Wednesday’s minus 6 degrees Celsius.
Gulmarg was the coldest recorded place within the valley.
Qazigund the gateway town to the valley recorded the minimum of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara, within the north, registered a coffee of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius and Kokernag, within the south, minus 3 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ — the 40-day harshest winter period when the probabilities of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
‘Chillai-Kalan’, which began on December 21, is taken into account the harshest winter period in Kashmir as a chilly wave grips the region and therefore the temperature drops considerably resulting in the freezing of water bodies including the famous Dal Lake here also because the water system lines in several parts of the valley.
The chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum during this era and most areas, especially within the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall, the officials said.
While ‘Chillai-Kalan’ will endways January 31, the wave continues even then in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
