Kashmir Valley receives fresh snowfall

Srinagar, Feb 1: Kashmir Valley, including summer capital Srinagar and other plain areas, received fresh snowfall today, a day after 'Chillai-Kalan', the 40-day period of harshest winter ended, even as the minimum temperatures rose by several degrees to provide relief from the intense cold conditions.

"Snowfall was recorded in higher reaches including the tourist resorts of Pahalgam and Gulmarg and Kupwara area of the Valley during the night," a MET Department spokesman said here.

The snowfall started in the morning, he said, adding, owing to cloudy sky during the night minimum temperature in the city appreciated by nearly three degrees from yesterday's minus 2.9 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 0.2 degree Celsius.

He said Kupwara received the highest snowfall of about five inches during the night and the mercury there settled at a low of minus 0.1 degree Celsius, up by over three degrees from minus 3.7 degrees Celsius yesterday.

Pahalgam hill resort which also serves as the base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a jump of over three degrees in the mercury from the previous night's low of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius to minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said.

Gulmarg hill resort in north Kashmir registered an increase of two degrees from minus 8.0 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 6.0 degrees Celsius.

Kokernag hill resort in south Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius – two degrees up from yesterday's minus 3.2 degrees Celsius while Qazigund recorded a low of minus 1.0 degrees Celsius, compared to last night's minus 4.2 degrees Celsius.

Kargil in Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in the state as night temperature settled at a low of minus 14.0 degrees Celsius, as against minus 16.6 degrees Celsius the previous night.

Leh registered a low of minus 11.6 degrees Celsius as compared to yesterday's minus 15.2 degrees Celsius. The MET Department has said moderate rains or snow would occur in plains of Kashmir while there was possibility of moderate to heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of the Valley over the next 24 hours.

'Chillai-Kalan', which began on December 21, ended yesterday but the winter continues even after the culmination of the harshest period. 'Chillai-Kalan' is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai Bachha' (baby cold).

PTI