Kashmir Valley continued to be in the grip of cold wave on Saturday with minimum temperature touching minus 7.2 degrees Celsius in Srinagar.
The Valley has been reeling under a cold wave since the first week of January when a heavy snowfall led to both air and surface transport being affected.
Officials said, Qazigund the gateway town to the valley recorded a minimum of 8.8 degrees Celsius up from minus 10.8 degrees Celsius the previous night.
The minimum temperature at the Gulmarg skiing resort, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, settled at minus 10.0 degrees Celsius – up from last night’s minus 11.5 degrees Celsius, they said.
Water bodies, including Dal Lake, have been freezing due to the cold wave. The drinking water taps and supply pipes have also frozen at many places in recent days, leading to water shortage. After several years, even Srinagar city is witnessing the formation of huge icicles from the rooftops and slippery surfaces during the morning which has been compounding problems for commuters.
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The meteorological department has predicted a two-day fresh snowfall in higher reaches from 31st January.
Deputy Director MeT Mukhtar Ahmad told Good Morning Kashmir that they are expecting light snowfall in mountains on 31st January and it will be followed by another spell of light to moderate snowfall from 2-3 February.
“Western disturbances shall likely affect Jammu and Kashmir from 31st January-1st February, which may cause light snowfall on higher reaches. However, it would not have any major effect on plains,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kashmir is in the middle of ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the harshest 40-day winter period which commences on December 21 and ends on January 30. Chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum during this period.
