Kashmir’s harshest winter period, Chillai Kalan, began on Saturday, with Srinagar experiencing its coldest December night in five decades, as temperatures dropped to minus 8.5°C, according to the meteorological department. The cold wave also caused temperatures to plummet below freezing across other parts of the valley.
On Friday night, the temperature in Srinagar dipped to minus 8.5°C from minus 6.2°C the previous night. This marked the city’s coldest December night since 1974, when the temperature reached minus 10.3°C, and the third coldest since 1891.
The lowest recorded temperature in Srinagar in December was minus 12.8°C on December 13, 1934.
The intense cold has led to the freezing of several water bodies, including parts of Dal Lake, and disrupted water supply lines in various areas of Srinagar and the valley. South Kashmir’s Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination and base camp for the Amarnath Yatra, recorded minus 8.6°C, while Gulmarg, the renowned ski resort, recorded minus 6.2°C.
Konibal, a village on the outskirts of Pampore, recorded the valley’s coldest temperature at minus 10.5°C. Other regions, including Qazigund, Kupwara, and Kokernag, also experienced sub-zero temperatures.
This was Kupwara’s coldest December temperature since 1998, marking the ninth lowest recorded for the month.
The meteorological department forecasts dry weather until December 26, with light snowfall expected in the higher reaches of the valley during the night of December 21-22. Further light snowfall is likely between December 27-28, with dry weather expected on December 29-30. Snowfall is also anticipated in higher areas on New Year’s Eve.
Chillai Kalan, the 40-day period of extreme cold, is followed by Chillai Khurd (small cold) for 20 days and Chillai Bachha (baby cold) for 10 days. This cold spell will continue until January 31, 2025.
