Frozen Kashmir Greets Chillai-Kalan

Srinagar: Cold wave tightened its grip on Kashmir Valley ahead of the onset of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ the 40-day harshest winter period – with the summer capital Srinagar and Leh town recording the coldest night of the season.

Chillai-Kalan, considered the harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum, has begun from today.

As per Srinagar based MeT department, minimum temperature was minus 6.2 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam and minus 3.0 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg. Qazigund – the gateway town to Kashmir valley – is another place which experienced the coldest night of the season with minus 7 degree temperature. Leh, in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, also recorded the coldest night of the season as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 14 degrees Celsius- down from the previous night`s minus 13.8 degrees Celsius. The MeT department has suggested that it is going to continue like this for the next few days as the weather is likely to be dry and cold. The Dal lake has already frozen partially, halting shikara activities at places.

The MeT department has suggested that it is going to continue like this for the next few days as the weather is likely to be dry and cold. The Dal lake has already frozen partially, halting shikara activities at places. As per Srinagar based MeT department, minimum temperature was minus 6.2 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam and minus 3.0 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg. Leh, in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, also recorded the coldest night of the season as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 14 degrees Celsius- down from the previous night`s minus 13.8 degrees Celsius. Qazigund – the gateway town to Kashmir valley – is another place which experienced the coldest night of the season with minus 7 degree temperature.

The weather usually remains cold during this period with the mercury remaining several degrees below freezing point, which often leads to freezing of water supply lines as well as water bodies, including the famous Dal Lake.

Leh, in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, also recorded the coldest night of the season as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 14 degrees Celsius- down from the previous night’s minus 13.8 degrees Celsius.

He said Leh was the coldest recorded place in the state.

Qazigund the gateway town to Kashmir Valley was another place which experienced the coldest night of the season, the official said.

He said the mercury in the town settled at a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius compared to minus 3.8 degrees Celsius on Monday.

He said the north Kashmir town of Kupwara recorded a low minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, against minus 4.2 degrees Celsius the previous night.

The official said Pahalgam health resort in south Kashmir which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra recorded a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius nearly a degree down from minus 5.3 degrees Celsius 24 hours earlier.

He said the resort was the coldest place in the Valley.

The mercury at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg, in north Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 3 degrees Celsius half a degree up from yesterday s low of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Kokernag town of south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, the official said.