Rain, snowfall forecast in Jammu and Kashmir till Thursday

At minus 2.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the Gulmarg ski resort was the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir and the weather office said that rain and snowfall across the state is likely to occur till Thursday.

"Light rain and snowfall will continue till tomorrow (Thursday) evening in the state. There has been widespread rain in the plains and snowfall in the higher reaches during the last two days," a Met Office official told IANS here.

The official said the minimum temperature in Srinagar city on Wednesday was 7.3 degrees Celsius while Gulmarg was the coldest where the minimum temperature dipped to minus 2.8 degrees Celsius.

"It was 16 degrees Celsius in Jammu city, 5.9 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam, 1.9 degrees Celsius in Leh town and 3 degrees Celsius in Kargil town on Wednesday," the official said.

"In Banihal town, the minimum temperature was 7.5 degrees Celsius, in Batote it was 8.7 degrees Celsius. In Katra town, the temperature was 13.8 degrees Celsius and it was 8 degrees Celsius in Bahderwah," the official added.

Snowfall in the mountains has sent down chilly winds into the Kashmir Valley as people are battling the cold with woollens these days.