Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 7: Kashmir experienced some relief from biting cold conditions today as the minimum temperatures across the Valley rose slightly, though they remained below the freezing point, according to officials.
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The night temperatures improved across the region, with Srinagar city recording a low of minus 2 degrees Celsius, up from the previous night’s minus 4.1 degrees Celsius. Qazigund, often referred to as the gateway to the Valley in south Kashmir, registered a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius.
The tourist hotspot Pahalgam, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a minimum of minus 4.3 degrees Celsius, an improvement from its season-low of minus 6.5 degrees Celsius observed the previous night. Meanwhile, the famed ski resort of Gulmarg and Kupwara town registered identical minimums of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag recorded minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.
Shopian in south Kashmir emerged as the coldest place in the Valley, with the mercury dropping to minus 4.5 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological center in Srinagar.
In the Jammu region, Banihal was the only location where the night temperature remained below freezing, at minus 0.4 degrees Celsius, up from minus 2.6 degrees Celsius recorded the previous night. Other locations in Jammu recorded higher minimums: Bhaderwah at 0.6 degrees Celsius, Batote at 3.1 degrees Celsius, Katra at 7.4 degrees Celsius, and Jammu city at 8.1 degrees Celsius.
Daytime temperatures, however, dipped in several areas due to partly cloudy sky. Banihal recorded a maximum of 14 degrees Celsius, down from 17.6 degrees Celsius the previous day. Batote registered a maximum of 15.2 degrees Celsius, compared to 17.1 degrees Celsius earlier. Similarly, Jammu city recorded a maximum temperature of 21.8 degrees Celsius, while Katra and Bhaderwah registered high temperature of 19.6 degrees Celsius and 13.4 degrees Celsius, respectively-all below normal levels.
The Meteorological Department has forecast the possibility of light rain or snowfall at scattered locations in Kashmir and light rain or thunderstorms at isolated places in Jammu late on the night of December 8. On the morning of December 9, isolated parts of Kashmir may witness light snowfall, while light rains are expected in Jammu.
From December 10 to 14, the weather is predicted to remain dry. However, between December 15 and 16, isolated places in the region might experience light rain or snow.
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