SRINAGAR: Severe cold conditions continued to grip Jammu and Kashmir with summer capital of the Valley recording a low of minus 5.2°C on the first day of the new year on Monday. A meteorological department official said that the minimum temperature in Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.2°C against minus 3.4°C on the previous night and it was 3.1°C below normal for the summer capital of J&K for this time of the year. Qazigund recorded a minimum of minus 3.6°C against minus 2.6°C on the previous night, he said. The minimum temperature was 0.7°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, the MeT official said. Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 5.7°C against minus 3.4°C on the previous night and it was 0.9°C above normal for the famous resort in south Kashmir. Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 1.7°C against minus 1.4°C on the previous night and the temperature was above normal by 1.8°C for the place, the official said. Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.5°C against minus 3.8°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C below normal there, the official said. Gulmarg, the official said, recorded a low of minus 3.4°C against minus 3.5°C on the previous night and the temperature was 3.5°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir. Jammu, he said, recorded a minimum of 7.3°C against 8.3°C on previous night, and it was above normal by 0.0°C for the winter capital of J&K. Banihal recorded a low of minus 0.8°C, Batote 3.1°C and Bhaderwah 0.6°C, he said. Kashmir valley is under ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the 40-day harsh period of winter, which will end on January 30. However it does not mean an end to the winter. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1. Weatherman has predicted mainly dry weather till January 3. From January 4-5, he said, generally cloudy and dry weather is expected. “Overall no significant weather activity is expected till January 5.”
