The cold wave, exacerbated by prevailing dry weather conditions in Jammu and Kashmir, has continued despite an earlier forecast of possible rain and snowfall in late December, officials said.
Minimum temperatures across the Kashmir Valley witnessed a sharp decline on Friday night, following recent rain and snowfall reported last week, ending a months-long dry spell in the region.
According to the MeT office in Srinagar, “Clear night skies, along with a cold breeze, have sharply dropped the minimum temperatures, with the summer capital Srinagar recording a minimum temperature of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius compared to minus 0.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday night.”
Minimum temperatures across most of weather stations in the Kashmir Valley recorded a sharp dip on Friday night. Jammu city remained the warmest place, with 7.1 degrees Celsius, while Sonamarg was the coldest place, with minus 5.8 degrees Celsius.
The cold wave has persisted across the region during the ongoing 40-day harsh winter period known as Chillai Kalan, which commenced on December 21.
The MeT has forecasted mainly dry and cold weather to continue across Jammu and Kashmir, with a possibility of moderate rain and snowfall over higher reaches until December 31.
Meanwhile, flight operations at Srinagar International Airport continued smoothly amid clear skies and dry weather.
Chillai Kalan, which runs from December 21 to January 31, is the coldest phase of winter and is vital for replenishing water bodies through snowfall on mountaintops and forest areas.
This precipitation supports summer water supplies for the horticulture and other agriculture sectors in the region.
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