Cold wave slightly loosens grip on J-K

Overcast conditions and fog engulfed most parts of Kashmir, giving residents of the Valley a reprieve from the cold wave as the night temperatures went up by several degrees and mercury in Srinagar settled above the freezing point.
Residents of Kashmir Valley woke up to a foggy morning as the night temperatures in most parts of the Valley increased due to the overcast conditions, bringing respite from the cold wave, a MeT Department official said here.
Leh, in Ladakh region, where the previous night was the coldest night of the season so far at -12.6 degrees Celsius, recorded a low of -10.8 degrees Celsius, the official said, adding that Leh continues to be the coldest recorded place in the state.

The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recorded minimum temperature of 0.4 degree Celsius, up by three notches from previous night's low of -2.6 degrees Celsius, she said.
The official said the night temperature in Pahalgam, a tourist resort which serves as a base camp during annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, increased from the previous night's low of -3.8 degrees Celsius to settle at a low of -1.5 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg settled above the freezing point at 0.6 degree Celsius, as against last night's 0.8 degree Celsius, she said.

The official said the night temperature in Kupwara, in north Kashmir, settled at a low of -2 degrees Celsius against last night's -2.4 degrees Celsius, while Qazigund -- the gateway town to Kashmir -- recorded a low of -0.3 degree Celsius, as compared to -2.8 degrees Celsius previous night.

The south Kashmir town of Kokernag registered a minimum of 1.1 degree Celsius, over a degree up from the previous night's minimum, she said.
She said the minimum temperature in the nearby Kargil town settled at -5.8 degrees Celsius, up from previous night's -7 degrees Celsius. The MeT office has said the weather will continue to remain dry for the next 24 hours.