Night temperatures across Kashmir settled above normal, officials said on Sunday, while some places in the Valley braced for a fresh wet spell. Half of the weather stations in Kashmir recorded sub-zero night temperatures, they said. The departure from normal varied from 0.3 to 4.9 degrees, they said.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 1.8 degrees Celsius -- 2.2 notches above normal. Qazigund, the gateway town to the Valley, registered a low of minus 0.4 degrees Celsius -- a notch above normal. The mercury settled at a low of zero degrees Celsius -- two notches above normal -- in Kokernag town in south Kashmir. North Kashmir's Kupwara recorded a minimum temperature of 2.9 degrees Celsius, which was 4.9 degrees above normal.
Pahalgam recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg registered a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius. The meteorological office has forecast mainly dry weather across Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, but said there is a possibility of light rain and snow at scattered places on Monday.
Another wet spell is likely from February 9 to 11 as there is a possibility of light to moderate snowfall and rain at many places in the union territory. 'Chilla-i-Kalan', the 40-day harshest weather period when the chances of snowfall are the maximum in the Valley, began on December 21 and ended on January 30. It is followed by with a 20-day-long 'Chillai Khurd' and a 10-day-long 'Chillai Bachha'.
