Kashmir Valley enveloped by fog; Leh coldest place in J-K

Srinagar, Jan 13: Many parts of Kashmir were engulfed in a thick layer of fog this morning even as the minimum temperature went down at most places in the Valley where there is a forecast for isolated rainfall on Wednesday, Jan 13.

A dense layer of fog covered many areas of the Valley, including summer capital Srinagar, affecting visibility as motorists negotiated the roads with caution in the poor light.

There was no fog, however, around the airport on the outskirts of the city here and flight operations did not suffer disruptions.

"There is no fog this side and flight operations went on normally," said an official at Srinagar International Airport.

The mercury in Srinagar dropped by nearly two degrees from a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius the previous night to settle at a low of minus 2.5 degrees, said a Meteorological Department spokesman here.

There was a dip by nearly three notches in the minimum at the famous tourist resort of Pahalgam, which serves as the base camp during the annual Amarnath Yatra, he added.

The mercury settled at minus 4.9 degrees at Pahalgam as against the previous night's minus 2.1 degrees, the spokesman said.

There was a drop of 1.6 degrees in the night temperature in north Kashmir's Kupwara town as it recorded a low of minus 3.1 degrees. Kokernag in south Kashmir registered a low of minus 2.2 degrees as compared to the previous night's minus 1.4 degrees, the spokesman said.

While the minimum temperature stayed at minus 2.8 degrees -- same as the previous night -- in Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir Valley, the mercury rose by a degree at the ski- resort of Gulmarg, which recorded a low of minus 5 degrees.

In the frontier region of Ladakh, Leh recorded a low of minus 13.2 degrees while nearby Kargil town registered a minimum of minus 12.4 degrees, over two notches up from the previous night's minus 14.8 degrees.

Leh was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said. The MeT office said there is a possibility of isolated rainfall in the plains of the Valley today while the higher reaches may receive light snowfall.

The weather is expected to remain mainly dry for four days from tomorrow. Kashmir is in the midst of the 40-day-long harshest phase of winter, which began on December 21 and will continue till the end of this month.

Known locally as 'Chillai-Kalan', the chance of snowfall is most frequent and maximum during this period. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day 'Chillai Bachha' (baby cold).

PTI