Mercury rises in some places in Kashmir Valley

Kashmir Valley residents got respite from cold conditions for the second consecutive day today as the mercury went up further by several degrees at most places, even as the weather office forecast cloudy sky with possibility of rain at isolated places.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 0.9 degree Celsius, an increase of over two degrees from the previous night's minus 3.2 degrees Celsius, a spokesman of the MET Department said.
Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, recorded a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius as compared to the previous night's minus 4.0 degrees Celsius.

The tourist resort of Pahalgam, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra - recorded a low of minus 1.9 degrees Celsius, an increase of nearly three degrees from minus 4.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, the spokesman said.
He said Kupwara town in north Kashmir and Kokernag in south also registered an increase in the minimum temperature as the mercury settled at minus 0.8 degree Celsius and minus 1.8 degrees Celsius respectively.
The minimum temperature at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg, however, registered a decrease of nearly two degrees from the previous night's minus 5.7 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 7.6 degrees Celsius.

Gulmarg was the coldest recorded place in the state.The mercury in Leh, in the frontier Ladakh region, went up by over five notches from the previous night's minus 10.1 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 4.7 degrees Celsius.

The data for the nearby Kargil town was not available, he said.
The spokesman said the sky would remain cloudy over the Valley and there is a possibility of rainfall at isolated places today.
Kashmir Valley is currently under the grip of the 40-day harsh winter period known as 'Chillai-Kalan' which began on December 21 and during which the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.

The temperatures also drop during this period leading to shivering cold across the state.Though the Chillai-Kalan ends on January 31 next year, the cold wave usually continues even after that.
The minimum temperature dropped in Gulmarg in north
Kashmir, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, as it settled at minus 5.4 degrees Celsius from the previous night's minus 2.6 degrees Celsius.
The hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp for annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a low of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The night temperature in Leh settled at a low of minus 8.3 degrees Celsius up from the previous night's low of minus 9.5 degrees Celsius, the official said.

He said the data for Kargil was not available.
The Meteorological Department has said there is possibility of isolated rains in the plains and light snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir for two days from today, while there are chances of widespread rains or snowfall for two days on January 29 or 30.
The Valley is currently under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day harshest winter period.
Chillai-Kalan, which began on December 21 and ends on January 31, is the period of winter when the chances of snowfall are usually most frequent and maximum.
The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai Bachha' (baby cold).