Season's first snowfall in Kashmir

The higher reaches of Kashmir received the season's first snowfall today, as the overcast sky led to increase in the minimum temperature across the Valley which provided respite from cold conditions.
There are reports of mild snowfall in some of the higher reaches of the Valley- marking the season's first snowfall, officials said.
They said the snowfall was experienced in the morning hours today and the overcast sky provided relief to the people from the cold conditions as it led to increase in the night temperatures.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, increased by nearly four degrees from the previous night's low of minus 0.9 degrees Celsius to settle above the freezing point at 2.8 degrees Celsius, an official of the Meteorological Department here said.

He said Kokernag and Gulmarg were the other places in the Valley where the night temperatures stayed above the freezing point.
While Kokernag town in south Kashmir registered a low of 2.8 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 1.8 degrees Celsius, the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered a low of 2 degrees Celsius against the previous night's minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, the official said.

The hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded the minimum of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius as compared to minus 3.5 degrees Celsius yesterday.
Kupwara, in north Kashmir, registered the minimum of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night's minus 1.8 degrees Celsius.

The official said the minimum in Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, was minus 1 degrees Celsius slightly up from minus 1.6 degrees Celsius on the previous night.
He said the night temperature in Leh town, in Ladakh region, settled at a low of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius same as that of the previous night. The nearby Kargil town recorded the minimum of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius.
The Meteorological Department has forecast light rain or snow at isolated places over the state over the next 24 hours.