The chilling winter tightened its grip on the Kashmir valley as Pahalgam witnessed the coldest night of the season, plummeting to -4.3°C on Tuesday. The minimum temperature in Pahalgam dropped further, marking a decline from the -3.4°C recorded on Monday, with a deviation of 1.0°C below the normal for this time of the year, as reported by the Meteorological (MeT) office.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, experienced a low of -1.4°C, compared to the 0.7°C recorded the previous night, registering a deviation of 0.5°C below the seasonal norm. Despite the cold nights, the maximum temperature in Srinagar recorded a relatively warmer 2.5°C above normal on the previous day, surpassing the normal 11.4°C for this season.
Gulmarg, the famed ski resort, saw a slight improvement in the minimum temperature, settling at -2.3°C on Tuesday, a marginal increase from the -2.4°C recorded the night before. However, it remained 1.0°C above the normal for this picturesque meadow region in north Kashmir.
On the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, Qazigund recorded a low of -1.6°C, down from the -0.4°C, while Kokernag marked a minimum of 0.2°C, a decrease from the 0.8°C recorded the previous night.In Kupwara, the frontier north Kashmir district, the temperature dipped to -1.7°C on Tuesday, showing a decline from the -2.5°C recorded the night before and registering at -0.3°C below the normal.
The Meteorological Department predicts dry weather in Jammu and Kashmir until December 10, with generally cloudy conditions expected on December 11. Night temperatures are anticipated to witness a further drop during the week, according to the Met office.