Kashmir valley sees further dip in temperature, Pahalgam coldest at minus 13.7 deg Celsius

Cold wave conditions persisted in the Kashmir valley on Thursday, with the night temperature in Pahalgam and Gulmarg resorts plummeting to minus 13 degrees Celsius.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.0 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, a drop of over 3 degrees against the previous night, the official said.

Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra, was the coldest place in the valley at minus 13.7 degrees Celsius.

North Kashmir's Gulmarg skiing resort recorded a low of minus 13.6 degrees Celsius, the Meteorological department said.

Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius.

Kokernag town, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, while north Kashmir's Kupwara recorded the minimum temperature at 6.1 degree Celsius, the weatherman said.

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

'Chillai-Kalan' began on December 21 and ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).