Several districts of Kashmir received snowfall on Friday, including the first of the season in many areas, with a slight rise in minimum temperatures at most places in the valley, officials said.
A western disturbance hit Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, bringing light snowfall to many parts of the valley, officials said.
Snowfall was recorded in the famous ski resort of Gulmarg, tourist resorts of Sonamarg and Pahalgam, Gurez, Zojila axis, Sadhna Top, Mughal Road and many areas of Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara districts, officials said.
The first snowfall of the season was also recorded in the plains of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts, they said. There are reports of fresh snowfall in other upper reaches of the valley.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said light rain is possible in Jammu plains and light snowfall in upper reaches of Chenab valley and Pir Panjal range under the influence of western disturbance.
Light snowfall in the mid to high reaches, especially over south and central Kashmir, is also most likely in the evening/night, it said.
The fresh snowfall led to the closure of the Srinagar-Leh highway and Mughal Road, officials said.
Meanwhile, severe wave-like cold conditions prevailed across Kashmir as minimum temperatures continued to dip a few degrees below freezing, even as most parts of the valley saw a slight rise in night temperatures.
Both minimum and maximum temperatures are below normal for this time of year.
Low temperatures caused water pipes to freeze, and a thin layer of ice covered the surface of a number of water bodies, including Dahl Lake.
Srinagar recorded a minimum of minus 7.3 degrees Celsius on Thursday night, slightly lower than the previous night’s minus 7 degrees Celsius, the MeT department said.
Gulmarg, a town known for skiing in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 6 degrees Celsius, the same as the previous night, the department added.
Pahalgam, the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 8 degrees Celsius, slightly higher than minus 8.6 degrees Celsius the previous night.
Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.9 degrees Celsius, while Kannibal, a hamlet in Pampore district, was the coldest place recorded in the valley at minus 9.5 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius.
The weather is expected to remain mostly dry from December 29 to 31, while light snowfall is possible at isolated places in Kashmir from January 1 to 5.
Metro engineering said that there is some increase in temperature until Monday.
Currently, Kashmir is under the rule of ‘Chilai Kalan’ which is considered to be the severest period of winter which started on 21st December.
During the 40 days of Chilai-Kalan, the probability of snowfall is the highest and the temperature drops significantly.
It ends on January 30 next year, but the cold wave continues in the valley after that. After 40 days, there is a 20-day “Chilai-Khurd” (small cold) and a 10-day “Chilai-Bachha” (child’s cold).
