Srinagar, December 28: The icy grasp of severe cold tightens in the Kashmir valley with a further drop in nighttime temperatures, as Srinagar experiences a chilling low of -3.3°C, and Pahalgam records -5.2°C on Thursday. Pulwama in south Kashmir takes the lead as the coldest place with a low of 6.4°C, followed closely by Konibal (-6.2°C), Bandipora in north Kashmir (-5.9°C), Shopian (-5.6°C), and the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal (-5.5°C).
Dense fog persists, enveloping Srinagar and various parts of the Kashmir valley, disrupting normal life. The Meteorological Centre in Srinagar reports a dip in the minimum temperature on Thursday, recording -3.3°C in Srinagar, compared to the -2.6°C registered the previous night. This is 1.2°C below the normal for the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir during this season.
The maximum temperature, however, sees a slight increase, recording 0.3°C above the normal of 7.9°C, as opposed to the 8.2°C in Srinagar the day before. Qazigund on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway witnesses a decrease in minimum temperature to -3.8°C from -3.2°C the previous night, while Kokernag reports a low of -2.0°C compared to -2.2°C recorded a day ago.
Pahalgam’s mercury plunges to -5.4°C on Thursday, 0.2°C below normal for the tourist hotspot in south Kashmir. Gulmarg, the renowned ski resort in North Kashmir, shows a slight improvement, recording -2.6°C against the -2.8°C from the previous day, marking it 3.6°C above normal.
Kupwara experiences a drop to -4.3°C from the -4.2°C recorded the previous night, registering 1.8°C below normal for the north Kashmir district, according to the Meteorological office.
The forecast predicts generally dry weather with moderate to dense fog over Central Kashmir, the Plains of Baramulla, Ganderbal, and Pulwama districts until the end of the month. There is a possibility of light snow over higher reaches during the evening or night on New Year’s Eve over Jammu and Kashmir. The weather is expected to remain generally dry during January 1–2, 2024, with the chance of light rain or snow in scattered places on January 3–4, according to the Meteorological office.
