Srinagar records season's coldest night at 5.8 deg Cel; snowfall likely in Kashmir on New Year's eve

Several parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh reeled under cold wave conditions on Saturday, with Srinagar recording the coldest night of the season at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius.

The mercury in Leh and Drass in Ladakh plummeted to minus 19.1 degrees Celsius and minus 28.6 degrees Celsius respectively, a Metrological Department official said.

Water supply lines froze at several places in Srinagar as the minimum temperature in the city settled at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius on Friday night. It was minus 5.6 degrees Celsius the previous night.

The Metrological Department has forecast rains and snowfall in Kashmir on the New Year's eve that is likely to bring respite from the cold wave conditions in the valley.

"There is a possibility of light rains or snowfall across Kashmir for a few days from December 31," the official said.

He said while there is forecast of scattered rains or snowfall on December 31 and January 1, fairly-widespread rainfall or snow is likely on January 2 which may continue till January 3.

The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.5 degrees Celsius, up from the previous night's minus 9.5 degrees Celsius, the official said.

The night temperature at Pahalgam resort, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 11.2 degrees Celsius as against minus 12.0 degrees Celsius on Friday.

Pahalgam, in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, was the coldest recorded place in the valley, he added.

The official said Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 10.8 degrees Celsius.

South Kashmir's Kokernag town recorded a low of minus 7.6 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature in North Kashmir's Kupwara settled at minus 6.3 degrees Celsius, the official said.

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

'Chillai-Kalan' began on December 21 and will continue till January 31. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).