Minimum temperatures improve across Kashmir; wet weather, snowfall ahead

Kashmir’s minimum temperatures improved slightly, ending a dry spell in the plains, as meteorologists forecast two western disturbances this week. Widespread light to moderate snowfall, including in Srinagar, is expected, potentially disrupting surface and air traffic

Srinagar: The minimum temperature improved at most places across Kashmir, even as the prolonged dry spell in the plains of the Valley is likely to end with the Meteorological Department forecasting spells of wet weather, including widespread snowfall for the upcoming week, officials said on Wednesday.

Two strong western disturbances are likely to affect Jammu and Kashmir this week, with the first one making its impact on Thursday, and another on January 26, the officials said.

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Under the influence of these systems, widespread light to moderate rainfall/snowfall is expected, including in the plains of the Valley, with heavy falls at a few places, the officials said.

They said the main activity of these weather systems would occur on January 23 and 27.

The weather system, beginning on Wednesday, could end the prolonged dry spell in the plains of Kashmir as the MeT office has forecast the possibility of light to moderate snowfall in the plains, including Srinagar, the officials added.

The system could disrupt the surface and air traffic, they said.

The 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 the chances of snowfall are the highest.

‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, which began on December 21 last year, ends on January 30.

While the higher reaches of Kashmir have received spells of snowfall, the plains of the Valley have remained snowless so far this winter.

Meanwhile, the night temperature improved at most places in the Valley on Tuesday night.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar improved by a degree to settle at a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius, the officials said.

The tourist resort of Sonamarg, in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, and Shopian, in south Kashmir, were the coldest recorded places in the Valley at minus 5.5 degrees Celsius each.

The popular ski resort of Gulmarg, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, recorded a low of minus 5.0 degrees Celsius, officials said.

The Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius, up from the previous night’s minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, they said.

The minimum temperature in Qazigund, the gateway town of the Valley, settled at minus 3.3 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius and Kupwara minus 3.0 degrees Celsius, they added.