Higher reaches of Kashmir valley to recive light snowfall: MeT
The meteorological (MeT) department has predicted snowfall over higher reaches of Kashmir valley from Tuesday night while the weather remained partly cloudy with plains of Jammu witnessing fog in the morning.
Kashmir’s southern tourist resort of Pahalgam had witnessed 3.4cm snowfall on Monday night, prompting the minimum temperature to go down to -6.7 degrees Celsius.
Deputy director, MeT, Mukhtar Ahmad said the weather will remain cloudy for the next two days. “From Tuesday evening, there will be light snowfall in some plains while in middle and higher reaches, we expect light to moderate snowfall up to six inches, particularly at isolated higher areas,” he added.
The weather will improve December 30 onwards and remain dry till January 4.
Ahmad said due to cloudy weather, the minimum temperature has improved. “However, from January 1, the minimum temperatures will drop again,” he added.
The MeT department said that Srinagar recorded a low of -4.8 degrees Celsius, while the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir witnessed -5.9 degrees on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
MeT department director Sonam Lotus said plains in Jammu will witness fog while the weather would be partly cloudy at other places on Wednesday.
“Improvement likely in fog in Jammu, Chandigarh, and Delhi from December 28 (60%), December 29-30 (70%),” Lotus said.
“Although there’s no forecast of any major spell of snow, light snowfall and below-freezing temperatures may lead to temporary disruption of surface transportation on Sonmarg-Zojila route, Sinthan Top, and Gurez-Bandipora road on December 30,” he added.
The weather update said that in Jammu division, Bhaderwah was the coldest at -0.2 degrees Celsius. The night temperature dropped to season’s lowest of 2.5°C in Jammu, while it was 6.9°C in Katra. Leh and Kargil in Ladakh shivered at -11°C and -10°C, respectively.
Kashmir’s winter pans out in three stages, starting with the 40-day intense period from December 21(Chillai Kalan) followed by 20 more days that are less intense (Chillai Khurd), and finally 10 days of mild cold (Chille Bache).
