Amid slight ease in sub-zero temperatures on Thursday, Kashmir Valley is bracing up for two approaching wet weather systems which are expected to bring light to moderate snowfall intermittently from December 9 to 13.
Quoting a meteorological department official, a news agency reported that Srinagar recorded a minimum of minus 2.8°C against minus 3.0°C on the previous night. So far, the coldest night this season in the summer capital was recorded on December 5 at minus 3.4°C.
While there was mist this morning, the MeT official said, today’s temperature was 2.2°C below the normal for this time of the year in Srinagar.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 3.0°C against minus 3.6°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.2°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Pahalgam recorded a low of 3.6°C against season’s coldest night at minus 5.6°C on previous night and it was 0.4°C below normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.8°C against minus 1.9°C on the previous night and it was 1.1°C below normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 2.8°C against minus 4.0°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.9°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 2.5°C against 3.1°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.7°C below normal for the north Kashmir place, he said.
Jammu recorded a low of 7.6°C against 6.9°C on the previous night. It was 2.4°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal recorded a low of minus 0.2°C (below normal by 2.3°C), Batote 4.2°C (0.2°C above normal), Katra 8.0°C (0.6°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 1.8°C (0.5°C above normal).
In Ladakh, Leh recorded minus 8.2°C, Kargil minus 12.1°C and details regarding mercury in Drass, the world’s second coldest place after Siberia, were not immediately available, the official said.
MeT department has already forecast light to moderate snowfall in Kashmir from the evening of December 9 to 10 and on December 12-13.
“A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect J&K and adjoining areas from December 9. Under the influence of the system, there is a possibility of light snow over plains and lower reaches, light to moderate snow over middle and higher reaches during 9th December (evening) to 10th December (evening) particularly over north, northwestern, central parts of Kashmir and South Kashmir,” the MeT official said, adding, “Light rain was expected at isolated to scattered places of Jammu.”
A feeble WD is also expected to hit J&K on night of December 12 and 13. There is possibility of snowfall over higher reaches under its influence in Kupwara, Bandipora and Ganderbal, he said. Dry weather is expected thereafter till December 18, he added.
