SRINAGAR, Dec 22: The Kashmir Valley experienced a slight rise in night temperatures on Sunday, although they remained several degrees below freezing, as officials reported persistent cloud cover and a forecast for snowfall in the higher elevations.
The Meteorological Center in Srinagar has indicated that cloudy conditions will dominate, with light snowfall expected in some higher-altitude regions of north Kashmir over the next 24 hours.
The weather is predicted to stay cold and dry until December 26. A weak Western disturbance is anticipated on December 27 and 28, potentially bringing light rain to the plains of Jammu and light snowfall in the higher reaches of the Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal Range.
Dry weather is expected to continue until December 30, with a chance of further snowfall in the higher elevations of the Kashmir Valley on New Year’s Eve.
The bone-chilling conditions in the Kashmir Valley persist, with the minimum temperature seeing a slight drop overnight from Saturday to Sunday.
After recording a frigid low of minus 8.5°C on Saturday—the coldest night since 1974—Srinagar experienced a low of minus 4.6°C on Sunday, which is 2.2°C below the seasonal average for the region.
In Pahalgam, a popular tourist spot, the temperature notably decreased to 4.9°C, compared to minus 8.6°C recorded the previous day, which was 0.3°C above normal for this area in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Qazigund, the gateway to Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5.2°C on Sunday, down from minus 8.2°C the previous night, which marked a 2.8°C drop below the seasonal average for this location.
Kokernag, a picturesque picnic destination, saw its night temperature fall to minus 3.7°C from minus 5.8°C, remaining 1.5°C below the average for the region.
In Gulmarg, the famous ski resort, temperatures were at minus 4.6°C, slightly higher than the minus 6.2°C recorded a day before, landing 1.4°C above normal for North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The Kupwara district in frontier Kashmir reported a low of minus 4.2°C on Sunday, down from minus 7.2°C the previous night, which was also 1.2°C below average for this border town during the current season, according to the Meteorological office.
