Srinagar, Dec 23: A severe cold wave continues to grip the Kashmir Valley, although a slight rise in minimum temperatures was recorded at some weather stations on Monday, according to officials. The cold wave is expected to persist, with the Meteorological Centre in Srinagar forecasting cloudy and dry weather until December 26.
A feeble Western Disturbance (WD) is expected to impact the region around December 27, bringing light rain to the plains of Jammu and light snow to higher altitudes in the Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal Range. The weather is expected to remain dry again until December 30, with another spell of light snow expected at higher reaches in the Kashmir Valley towards the end of the year.
The Met office also stated that the minimum temperature is expected to rise by 1-2°C over the next 24 hours, followed by a drop of 2-3°C until December 26.
In Srinagar, the minimum temperature slightly improved to minus 4.6°C on Monday, up from minus 5.8°C recorded the previous night. Despite the rise, this temperature is still 1.2°C below the season’s average for the city.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir remained the coldest place in the Valley, with the night temperature dropping to minus 4.9°C, a notch colder than Sunday. However, this was still 0.2°C above the normal for this period.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, also saw a slight drop in temperature to minus 4.8°C, compared to minus 5.2°C the previous night, which was 2.4°C below average for the area.
Kokernag, another town in south Kashmir, recorded a temperature of minus 4.0°C, down from minus 3.7°C the day before, marking a 1.8°C deviation below the average for this period.
In the ski resort of Gulmarg, the temperature dipped to minus 4.8°C, slightly colder than Sunday’s minus 4.6°C, but still 1.4°C above normal for this time of year.
Kupwara, in Kashmir’s frontier region, maintained a temperature of minus 4.2°C for the second consecutive day, 1.2°C below the normal for this period.
The cold wave is expected to persist, making life challenging across the Valley, especially in higher altitudes where snow and freezing temperatures are causing disruptions.
