There was some relief from dense fog and intense cold conditions for people in Kashmir on Saturday as the mercury and visibility improved due to the impact of a feeble western disturbance, officials said here.
The minimum temperature across Kashmir improved a bit but still settled below the freezing point, they said. In Srinagar, it was recorded at minus 2.8 degrees Celsius – up from the previous night's minus 3.3 degrees Celsius, they added.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius on Thursday night -- up from minus 5.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said.
Gulmarg, a famous ski-resort in Baramulla, recorded a low of minus 2.5 degrees Celsius.Qazigund recorded a low of minus 2.0 degrees Celsius, an improvement of over two degrees, Kokernag town minus 1.3 degrees Celsius and Kupwara minus 2.3 degrees Celsius, the officials said. Kashmir is currently in the grip of the "Chilla-i-Kalan", a 40-day harsh winter period, when temperatures drop considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies, including the Dal Lake, as well as the water in supply lines.
The chances of snowfall are the highest during this period and most areas, especially the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall. "Chilla-i-Kalan" will end on January 31 and will be followed by a 20-day "Chilla-i-Khurd" and a 10-day "Chilla-i-Bachha". The meteorological department has said the weather would stay generally cloudy but dry over the next few days and the New Year is also likely to enter on a dry note. There is no significant weather activity till January 5 next year, it said.
