Kashmir in grip of cold wave, Shopian coldest place at minus 8.6 degrees Celsius

Srinagar: Cold wave conditions in Kashmir intensified as minimum temperature settled several degrees below freezing point, officials said on Sunday.

The sub-zero temperature and clear skies resulted in the freezing of parts of the Dal Lake and other water bodies.

Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, slight up from the previous night's minus 5.7 degrees Celsius.

The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir had recorded its coldest night this season on Thursday when the minimum temperature dipped to minus 6 degrees Celsius.

South Kashmir Shopian town was the coldest place across the valley, as the minimum settled at minus 8.6 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam tourist resort, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra, registered a low of minus 7.6 degrees Celsius.

The night temperature in the popular ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir's Baramulla district settled at a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, up from the previous night's minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, they said.

The tourist resort of Sonamarg in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district recorded a minimum temperature of 4.3 degrees Celsius.

Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, registered a low of minus 5.8 degrees Celsius, the season's coldest, officials said. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, and Kupwara minus 5.6 degrees Celsius, they added.

Kashmir is currently in the midst of 'Chilla-i-Kalan', 40 days of extreme cold, during which night temperatures often drop several degrees below the freezing point, and the chances of snowfall are the highest.

'Chilla-i-Kalan', which began on December 21 last year, ends on January 30.

The plains of the valley have not received any snowfall so far this season.

The India Meteorological Department has said the weather is likely to remain dry but cloudy till January 21.