Jammu to celebrate Lohri, harbinger of warmer days

The cold wave sweeping through Jammu and Kashmir further tightened its grip on the valley even as people in Jammu prepared to celebrate the Lohri festival on Saturday.

Lohri marks the season's turnaround.

Camp fires would be organised in Jammu, around which people would gather in the evening to welcome comparatively warmer days ahead.

People in the Kashmir Valley though, continued to brave the harsh winter as the 40-day long 'Chillai Kalan' would only end on January 30.

However, there appears little likelihood of any major snowfall in Kashmir during this year's Chillai Kalan.

Kashmir's perennial water reservoirs get replenished by the heavy snowfall that is received during this period.

The perennial rivers, streams, springs and lakes get rich with heavy snow during the winter to sustain them through the summer.

"There is little likelihood of any major snowfall at least during the next fortnight. Cold, dry weather is likely to continue in the state during this period," the Met office said.

Minimum temperature was minus 4.6 in Srinagar, minus 6.1 in Pahalgam and minus 4.5 in Gulmarg.

Leh town in Ladakh region recorded minus 15 as the night's lowest temperature.

While Jammu city recorded 6.8, Katra 6.9, Batote 2.9, Banihal minus 1.2, Bhaderwah 0.9 and Udhampur 2.1 degrees Celsius.

--IANS

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