Biting cold continues in Kashmir; Ladakh coldest at minus 17.7 degrees celsius

Srinagar: Cold wave continued unabated in Kashmir division, including Ladakh, as the mercury plummeted further, with most places in the region experiencing coldest night of the season.

Leh town, in Ladakh region, was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as it shivered at the season’s lowest of minus 17.7 degrees Celsius – down nearly two degrees from yesterday’s minus 16 degrees, a MeT official said in Srinagar.

The nearby Kargil town recorded the coldest night of the season so far with a low of minus 15.6 degrees Celsius – a decrease of nearly two degrees from the previous night’s minus 15.6 degrees Celsius.

The mercury in Pahalgam hill resort, in south Kashmir, went down nearly a degree from the previous night’s minus 12.4 degrees Celsius to settle at the season’s low of minus 13.0 degrees Celsius, January’s lowest in past three years.

Gulmarg, the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir, also recorded the season’s lowest night temperature with a low of minus 13.5 degrees Celsius, half-a-degree down from the previous night’s minus 13.0 degrees Celsius, he said.

The resort was the coldest place in the Valley and it was the lowest night temperature there in the month of January since January 13, 2012, when the mercury plummeted to minus 16.5 degrees Celsius.

Srinagar and Kupwara town in north Kashmir were the only two places where mercury did not dip to the season’s lowest.

While Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.0 degrees Celsius, nearly a degree down from the previous night’s minus 4.1 degrees, Kupwara recorded a low of minus 5.8 degrees Celsius, the official said.

The MeT has forecast isolated to fairly-widespread snowfall or rains for a few days from tomorrow.

“There is possibility of isolated rainfall or snowfall for two days from tomorrow, after which we expect fairly- widespread rains or snow on January 15 and scattered rains or snow the next day,” the official said.