The Kashmir Valley continues to experience intense coldwave conditions, with the MeT (Meteorological Department) predicting dry weather for the next two days. The summer capital, Srinagar, recorded a minimum temperature of -3.6°C during the night between Sunday and Monday, marking another chilly night in the region’s harsh winter.
This coldwave comes as Kashmir enters its most frigid 40-day winter period, which began on Saturday. The Valley has been grappling with record-breaking cold in decades, with no major snowfall observed in the plains for the past two months. However, the upper reaches of Kashmir have seen snowfall three to four times during the same period. Despite the cold, the region is still awaiting a significant snowfall that could help replenish its water resources. Last year, Kashmir saw heavy snowfall in the final week of January.
While temperatures in Srinagar remained low, the coldest recorded temperature in the Valley was in south Kashmir’s Konibal in Pampore, which dropped to -6°C, slightly higher than the previous night’s low of -6.5°C. Other parts of Kashmir also experienced freezing temperatures, with Pahalgam in the southern hills recording -5°C, while Qazigund, the gateway to Kashmir, witnessed a low of -4°C.
In North Kashmir, Gulmarg, the famous ski resort in Baramulla, recorded a low of -4.8°C, while Kupwara, a frontier district, saw temperatures drop to -4.3°C.
Looking ahead, the MeT has forecasted dry weather for the next two days, with the possibility of light rain in the plains of Jammu and light snow over the higher reaches of the Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal Range late in the afternoon between December 27 and 28. The department also predicts generally dry weather from December 29 to 31, with isolated light snow in higher reaches.
As Kashmir braces for continued cold temperatures and hopes for a substantial snowfall, the region remains on high alert as it navigates through one of its coldest winters in years.
Sources By Agencies
