Kashmir braces for fresh spell of snowfall; Srinagar records coldest night of season

Jammu and Kashmir summer capital Srinagar recorded the coldest night of the season as the mercury dipped to minus 3.6°C amid the weather office’s prediction of a coming western disturbance from the night of December 14 which may bring snow and rains.

Nights continued to record sub-zero temperatures in Kashmir for the seventh day on Saturday with the mercury plunging to – 6.4 °C in the mountain resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir.

The days remain warm as the sun continues to come out bright and break the effect of chilling night temperatures. Occasionally mornings remain foggy.

The night temperature in all weather stations remained below zero.

In north Kashmir, the ski resort of Gulmarg recorded a night temperature of -5.5 °C.

The summer capital Srinagar recorded -3.6 °C as against -2.6 °C a night earlier.

“This was the coldest night so far in Srinagar this season, going down 3 degrees from the normal of -0.6 °C,” an official of the meteorological department said.

It was -4.5 °C in Konibal, – 4.3 °C in Kupwara, and -3.7 °C in Qazigund.

In the union territory of Ladakh, Drass recorded bone-chilling – 18 °C while it was – 12.1 °C in Leh during the night.

The weather office modified its prediction of snow and rains in the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh next week.

Director, meteorological department of J&K and Ladakh, Sonam Lotus said that the dry weather spell will break by the night of December 14.

“As of now, light snow and rain in the plains of J&K are most likely during the nights of December 14 and 15,” he said.

He said the higher reaches especially of north Kashmir may receive moderate snowfall during the above period.

“Light to Moderate Snow is also likely at places like Sonmarg-Drass axis, Panikhar-Padum and on other higher reaches of Kargil and Leh dist during the above period,” he said.

“There’s no forecast of any heavy rain and snow during this spell of western disturbance,” he said.

The weather is most likely to remain generally cloudy during December 14-16th in Ladakh.

Jammu and Kashmir had witnessed a day of light rains and snow on Sunday last.

Srinagar had received rains on Sunday while snow fell on mountainous areas like Gulmarg in north Kashmir and Shopian in south Kashmir. Some areas of Jammu were hit by hails. Moderate snowfall was also reported at Kargil, Zanskar, and in the higher reaches of Leh.