Dry winter in Kashmir after 3 decades: Weatherman

With 40-day ChalaiKalan—the coldest period of winter in Kashmir—ending, dry weather will continue in the Valley for next 24 to 48 hours, officials said Friday.
The lowest minimum temperature recorded this ChilaiKalan was minus 5.4 on January 2 while the highest remained at 12. 7 degree Celsius on January 18 and January 27, they said.
“It was in 1980 when Kashmir witnessed such a dry winter,” Director Metrological department Sonum Lotus told Greater Kashmir.
He said the lowest snowfall recorded in ChalaiKalan was 7 mm in 2007 while the record was broken this year, bringing it down to 4 mm.
Officials said weather would remain dry during the next 24 hours while the maximum temperature would also improve.
With weather remaining mostly dry this ChilaiKalan with no snowfall in plains—except the little snowfall two days back—the Srinagar-Jammu highway witnessed smooth vehicular movement with closure only on few occasions for a short period.
The ChalaiKalan—when Kashmir would receive heavy snowfall—saw sunny days, enabling flood affected families to carry out reconstruction works.