Srinagar, Dec 17: The prolonged dry spell in Kashmir is likely to end around December 21 with a wet weather system expected to affect the valley, coinciding with the onset of Chillai-Kalan, the region’s harshest 40-day winter period, officials said on Wednesday.
The local weather office said a western disturbance is likely to impact Jammu and Kashmir during December 21–22, raising the possibility of moderate to heavy snowfall in higher reaches and light to moderate rain or snowfall in the plains of Kashmir.
Chillai-Kalan begins on December 21 and continues till January 30, a period marked by the sharpest drop in temperatures and the highest frequency of snowfall. So far this winter, the valley has not witnessed any major wet spell, with prevailing dry conditions contributing to an increase in seasonal ailments such as cough and the common cold.
Meanwhile, most parts of the Kashmir valley continued to reel under sub-zero night temperatures. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night, slightly higher than Monday night’s minus 1.8 degrees Celsius.
A thick layer of fog enveloped Srinagar and several other parts of the valley, especially areas around water bodies, during the early morning hours.
Qazigund in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara in north Kashmir registered minus 2.2 degrees Celsius. Kokernag settled at minus 0.1 degrees Celsius.
Gulmarg recorded a minimum temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius, remaining above the freezing point, while Pahalgam, a base camp for the Amarnath Yatra, logged a low of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius.
Shopian and Pulwama in south Kashmir emerged as the coldest places in Jammu and Kashmir, with both towns recording a minimum temperature of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius. (Agencies)
