Light snowfall likely on the higher reaches of Kashmir over the weekend

This year, the winter has already started on a harsh note as the temperature dropped to a record minus 6.6 degree Celsius in summer capital Srinagar on December 19, the lowest temperature of the season

Snowfall is expected on the mountains in Kashmir over the weekend, the weather office said on Thursday.

Tourists sledding in the snow at Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. (HT Photo)

Srinagar-based director of the meteorological department Sonam Lotus has said that the weather will mostly remain dry till Friday.

“There is a possibility of light snowfall on the higher reaches during December 26-27. There is no forecast of any major snowfall till December ends,” he said.

The 40-day intense winter period “chillai kalan” started in Kashmir Valley on December 21 with sub-zero night temperatures across the region.

This year, the winter has already started on a harsh note as the temperature dropped to a record minus 6.6 degree Celsius in summer capital Srinagar on December 19, the lowest temperature of the season and also the second-coldest December night in the past decade.

“The snowfall will mostly be on the mountains in south Kashmir on December 26 and 27,” said an official of the MeT department.

The mercury dipped to minus 3.8 degrees Celsius in Srinagar on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, around two notches below the normal, he said.

The tourist resort of Gulmarg witnessed a temperature of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius. Gulmarg already had four spells of snow this winter and winter games have already begun on the icy slopes of the resort.

The cold wave has been leaving water taps frozen every night across Kashmir.

Kashmir’s winter pans out in three stages, starting with the 40-day intense period from December 21(chillai kalan) followed by 20 more days that are less intense (chillai khurd) and lastly 10 days of mild cold (chillai bache).

The night temperatures continued to go below zero in most places of Kashmir.

In Jammu, the temperature was also cold at 6.6 degrees Celsius, 1.5 points below normal. Leh, in the Union Territory of Ladakh, recorded a low of minus 13.5 degrees Celsius, while Kargil recorded a low of minus 17.2 degrees Celsius and Drass, the second-coldest place in the world, recorded minus 23.1 degrees Celsius temperature.

The night temperatures started dipping in Jammu and Kashmir from December 14 after snowfall.