Kashmir braces for snowfall as cold wave intensifies, temperatures drop below freezing

Cold conditions prevailed across Kashmir on Thursday, with minimum temperatures dropping at most places and a western disturbance expected to affect the region later in the day and likely bring fresh snowfall, officials said.

There was a decrease in night temperatures at most places in Kashmir and the mercury settled below the freezing point across the valley, they said.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar dropped by a degree from the previous night to settle at a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday night, officials said.

Tourist resort of Sonamarg in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district was the coldest recorded place in the valley at minus 6.1 degrees Celsius — down from minus 5.5 degrees Celsius the previous night.

The popular ski resort of Gulmarg, in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, recorded a low of minus 4 degrees Celsius, officials said.

The Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night's minus 3.8 degrees Celsius, they said.

The minimum temperature in Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, settled at minus 3.8 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius and Kupwara minus 3.7 degrees Celsius, they added.

Two strong western disturbances are likely to affect Jammu and Kashmir this week, with the first one making its impact on Thursday, and another on January 26, officials said.

Under the influence of these systems, widespread light to moderate rainfall/snowfall is expected, including in the plains of the valley, they said.

They said the main activity of these weather systems would occur on January 23 and January 27.

The weather system beginning on Thursday could end the prolonged dry spell in the plains of Kashmir as the Met office has forecast the possibility of light to moderate snowfall in the plains, including Srinagar, officials said.

The system could disrupt the surface and air traffic, they said.

Kashmir Valley is currently in the midst of 'Chilla-i-Kalan', a 40-day period of extreme cold during which night temperatures often drop several degrees below the freezing point, and the chances of snowfall are the highest.

'Chilla-i-Kalan', which began on December 21 last year, ends on January 30.

While the higher reaches of Kashmir have received spells of snowfall, the plains of the valley have remained snowless so far this winter.