Chill continues across J&K

JAMMU/SRINAGAR: The cold wave conditions persisted in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Saturday, with the Valley and the cold desert witnessing sub-zero minimum temperatures that led to frost formation on roads and caused inconvenience to motorists.
While Jammu witnessed heavy fog in the early hours of Saturday morning, there were reports of scattered rainfall in Samba and Kathua districts.
The minimum temperature in Jammu was recorded at 9.0 degree Celsius, even as the sky remained cloudy. The minimum temperature is expected to fall further on Sunday, to 5.8 degree Celsius.
The Kashmir Valley and the Union Territory of Ladakh reeled under sub-zero night temperatures after the recent snowfall, the Meteorological Department said.
The famous ski resort of Gulmarg was the coldest place in Kashmir with a minimum temperature of minus 11 degrees Celsius, it said.
The official said the freezing temperatures led to formation of a layer of frost on roads which caused inconvenience to people, especially motorists.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.4 degree Celsius, down from Friday's minus 0.8 degree Celsius.
In Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley in south Kashmir, the mercury settled at a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.
The tourist resort of Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, up from minus 11.9 degrees Celsius on Friday.
The night temperature in Kokernag, in south, settled at a low of minus 2.1 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara, in north, recorded a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius.
In Ladakh, Leh recorded a low of minus 13 degrees Celsius and the nearby Drass registered a minimum temperature of minus 24.1 degrees Celsius.
The weather office has said that while no major snowfall is expected for next three days in the valley, a spell of lesser intensity is likely between January 21 and 24.