Cold conditions intensify in Kashmir; fringes of several water bodies freeze

Several places, including Srinagar, experienced the coldest night of the season as cold conditions tightened grip in Kashmir with a significant fall in the minimum temperature in most parts, officials said on Thursday.

The bone-chilling cold conditions led to the freezing of the fringes of several water bodies, including the famous Dal Lake here.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.1 degrees Celsius on Wednesday night, down 3.5 degrees from minus 1.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night, they said. The officials said it was the season's coldest night in the city so far this season, and the minimum temperature was 3.2 degrees below the season's normal.

The tourist resort of Sonamarg in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as it shivered at a low of minus 9.8 degrees Celsius, they said. The night temperature in Gulmarg in north Kashmir's Baramulla district settled at a low of minus 9.2 degrees Celsius, down from minus 7.6 degrees Celsius, they said. It was the lowest night temperature at the resort so far this winter, they added.

In south Kashmir's tourist resort of Pahalgam, the minimum settled at a low of minus 8.6 degrees Celsius, down from minus 7.2 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said, adding, the Wednesday night was the season's coldest in the resort. The minimum in Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, went down by over five degrees to record a minimum of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, the season's coldest, the officials said. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 3 degrees Celsius and Kupwara minus 5.1 degrees Celsius, they added.

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 chances of snowfall are the highest. 'Chilla-i-Kalan', which began on December 21 last year, ends on January 30. The plains of the valley have not received any snowfall so far this season.

The India Meteorological Department has said the weather is likely to remain dry but cloudy till January 20. It said the night temperatures would witness a significant fall in the valley till January 10.