At -6.5°C, Shopian coldest in Valley

All weather stations in Kashmir observed above normal day temperatures, with Srinagar recording 12.4 degrees Celsius, six notches over normal

Shopian in South Kashmir was the coldest in the Valley and recorded a minimum of minus 6.5 degrees Celsius on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

Tourists take shikara rides on a sunny and dry winter day at the Dal Lake in Srinagar on Saturday. (PTI)

All weather stations in Kashmir observed above normal day temperatures, with Srinagar recording 12.4 degrees Celsius, six notches over normal. Srinagar has seen above normal day temperatures over the past week.

The tourist resorts of Pahalgam in south Kashmir and Gulmarg recorded 10.1 and 5.4 degrees Celsius. Both the places saw sub-zeo minimum temperatures.

Jammu, however, recorded a maximum of 10.3 degrees Celsius, 7.2 notches less than normal. Leh in Ladakh recorded 2.1 degrees Celsius day temperature.

MeT has predicted snow and rainfall by end of this month.

Kashmir’s winter pans out in three stages, starting with the 40-day intense period from December 21 accompanied with most of the snowfall, followed by 20 days of comparatively less intense chill (Chilla-i-Khurd), and final 10 days of mild cold (Chill-e-Bache).