Srinagar, Dec 29: The weather in the Kashmir Valley has improved after the recent snowfall, with a slight increase in night temperatures, although they still remain below freezing, according to officials. The Meteorological Centre in Srinagar has forecast another spell of snowfall from January 3 to January 6, predicting light to moderate snowfall across several locations in the Kashmir division and scattered areas in the Jammu division. They also mentioned that moderate to heavy snowfall is possible in higher reaches during that timeframe, with light snow expected in isolated places on January 1 and 2.
The cold wave conditions are expected to persist in the Kashmir Valley until the end of the year, the MeT office reported. They have issued an advisory stating that due to the snowfall, sub-freezing temperatures, and icy conditions on the roads—including in the plains and higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir—tourists, travelers, and transporters should adhere to official traffic advisories.
Chilly weather continues to affect Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir Valley, with significant water bodies frozen, impacting daily life. The minimum temperature in Srinagar recorded during the night between Saturday and Sunday was -0.2 °C, an increase from the -1.0 °C reported a day earlier, which was 2.4 °C higher than the seasonal average for the region.
Gulmarg, a popular ski resort, recorded the lowest temperature at -8.5 °C on Sunday, a drop from -5.9 °C the previous night, which was 2.6 °C below normal. Pahalgam, in southern Kashmir, saw temperatures plunge to -8.0 °C after snowfall, compared to -2.8 °C the night before, also 2.8 °C below the seasonal average.
Kokernag recorded a low of -1.8 °C, slightly up from -1.5 °C a day earlier, which remained 0.9 °C above the average for the picnic spot during this season. Qazigund registered a minimum temperature of -0.4 °C, a slight improvement from -0.6 °C reported the previous night, which was 2.3 °C above normal for the gateway to Kashmir along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
Kupwara, located in northern Kashmir, experienced a minor increase in temperature, recording -1.0 °C compared to -1.2 °C the night before, which was also 2.0 °C above normal for this time of year, as per the MeT office’s reports.
