Srinagar: After fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir, the cold wave tightened its grip across the valley, sending night temperatures plummeting.
The famous ski resort of Gulmarg recorded a bone-chilling minus 9.0°C on Monday, marking it as one of the coldest nights of the season, officials said.
Gulmarg had witnessed fresh snowfall on Sunday, adding to the picturesque charm of the destination.
In Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, temperatures also fell significantly. The city recorded a low of minus 3.3°C on Monday, a steep drop from Sunday’s minus 0.5°C.
The mercury at the tourist spot of Pahalgam plunged to minus 6.8°C on Monday against the minus 2.8°C on Sunday, and this was 4.0°C below normal for the tourist spot of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Qazigund slipped down to minus 5.2°C against the minus 1.0°C a day ago, and it was 4.5°C below normal for the gateway to Kashmir on this day.
The picnic spot of Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, dropped to minus 4.4°C against the 0.4°C recorded the previous night, and this was 3.8°C below normal for the place on this day.
The night temperature at the border district of Kupwara recorded a low of minus 4.4°C against the 0.4°C on Sunday. This was 2.6°C below normal for the frontier district during this period of the season, the Met office said.
The minimum temperature at the Zojila on the strategic Srinagar-Ladakh highway was recorded at minus 20°C, tourist spot of Sonmarg minus 7.0°C, Larnoo minus 7.9°C, Shopian minus 7.7°C, Anantnag minus 7.0°C and Pulwama minus 6.7°C, Kashmir weather an independent weather observer, Faizan Arif said.
The Met Office predicted the weather will remain generally cloudy with the possibility of light rain over a few areas of plains and hilly areas of the Jammu division and light rain and snow over the higher and at a few places of the Kashmir Valley on Monday.
The weather is likely to remain dry till December 10.
On December 11, a minor snow spell in higher reaches of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Bandipora district of north Kashmir can’t be ruled out.
Another weak Western Disturbance (WD) is likely to hit on December 12 and may cause light rain/snow in a few areas of the Kashmir Valley.
The weather will mostly remain dry till December 17, the MeT office said.
