By PTI
SRINAGAR: The minimum temperature at most places in Kashmir decreased on Sunday after snowfall, but the clouds made way for the winter sun in the morning, officials said.
The MET Office has said the weather would improve gradually on Sunday and would remain mainly dry till the end of the month.
The night temperature in the Kashmir valley, except in Srinagar and Qazigund, went down on Saturday night, the officials said.
They said there are reports of very light snowfall or rain at most places of the valley during the night.
However, the weather started to improve this morning and the clouds made way for the winter sun, they added.
Srinagar city recorded a low of minus 1.9 degrees Celsius, slightly up from minus 2 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said.
Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded a minimum of 3 degrees Celsius, a degree up from the previous night, they said.
The minimum temperature at the Gulmarg skiing resort, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, settled at minus 11 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, down from minus 4.8 degrees Celsius the night earlier.
Pahalgam tourist resort, which also serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 12 degrees Celsius — over ten degrees down from the previous night’s minus 1.3 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag, in south, minus 5.9 degrees Celsius.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ — the 40-day harshest winter period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies including the famous Dal Lake here as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valley.
The chances of snowfall are the most frequent and maximum during this period and most areas, especially in the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall.
While ‘Chillai-Kalan’ — which began on December 21 — will end on January 31, the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
