Valley freezes under 'Chillai Kalan'; Kargil coldest

A week after the advent of 'Chillai-Kalan'-- the 40-day period of harshest winter, the weather in Kashmir Valley continues to remain dry and cold with minimum temperatures hovering below the freezing point.
Kargil was the coldest place in the state recording a low of minus 15.6 degree Celsius.
"The weather continues to be dry and cold especially in plains and there will be no large change in it over the next few days," a MET Department official said.
Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region have been experiencing bone-chilling cold with no major respite in the harsh climatic conditions as the weather continues to remain dry due to the absence of rains or snowfall in the plains.

Few places in the Valley, including the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg, had received light snowfall on December 22.
The night temperatures in the Valley and Ladakh region continue to remain several degrees below the freezing point.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.1 degree Celsius, slightly above than the previous night's minus 4.7 degrees, the official said.
The city had witnessed the coldest night of this winter so far with mercury plunging to minus 5.6 degree Celsius on December 27.
Severe cold had led to freezing of parts of many water bodies including the famous Dal Lake located in the heart of the city.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5.8 degrees Celsius against the previous night's minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, the official said.