Kashmir reels under sub zero temperature

Kashmir Valley reeled under sub zero temperature as mercury in summer capital Srinagar was recorded at minus 3.9 degrees Celsius and in cold desert of Ladakh it remained under the 10 degrees mark freezing most water bodies and fringes of famous Dal lake.

Kashmir is currently going through 'Chillai-Kalan', which begins on December 21, and is the period when the chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent.

The weather remains cold during this period as the day temperature also dip drastically, freezing most of the water bodies, including the famous Dal Lake.

However, a bright winter sun provided some relief for the inhabitants of the summer capital Srinagar and other parts of the Valley with the day temperature rising to settle in the double digits after remaining below nine over the past week.

Kargil town in Ladakh was coldest recorded place in the state with a low of minus 12.6 degrees Celsius, registering a drop of over 2.6 degrees compared the previous night.

The night temperature also fell by two notches in the nearby town of Leh to settle at minus 12.0 degrees, a spokesman of the MET department said.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar dropped to minus 3.9 degrees against the previous night's minus 3.8

degrees Celsius.

Pahalgam hill resort, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, continued to be the coldest recorded place in Kashmir where the night temperature was minus 6.5 degrees Celsius. 

Gulmarg -- the famous ski resort in north and the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, experienced a low of minus 6.4 degrees against Wednesday’s minus 5.8 degrees. 

The night temperature recorded at Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, and Kokernag hill resort in south Kashmir was minus 3.6 and minus 3.8 degrees Celsius respectively, while Kupwara recorded a low of minus 5.1 degrees Celsius, same as was recorded the previous night. 

This year, the cold wave in the Valley began earlier than the normal period of 'Chillai Kalan', with the minimum in Srinagar plummeting to over four degrees below the freezing point on December 11. 

Though 'Chillai-Kalan' would end on January 31, the winter continues after that. The 40-day harshest period would be followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai Bachha' (baby cold).