kashmir-valley-braces-for-snowfall

Jammu and Kashmir is likely to receive rain and snowfall after a prolonged dry spell, according to the MeT office in Srinagar. Weather Department officials said on Friday that a fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the Union Territory, bringing fresh snowfall in the higher reaches and rain in the plains.

 

Meanwhile, cold wave conditions have persisted across the Kashmir Valley, as several weather stations recorded sub-zero temperatures on Thursday night.

 

According to the MeT office in Srinagar, “Srinagar, the summer capital, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday night.”
At the Srinagar International Airport, it was minus 2.8 degrees Celsius.

 

The intense cold wave has led to the freezing of several water bodies in the Valley, with night temperatures dropping several degrees below normal. The dry and cold weather conditions have led to a surge in seasonal illnesses, particularly among young children and the elderly.

 

Health officials have advised residents to avoid stepping out of their homes during the early morning hours, as the intense cold breeze could trigger chest and respiratory illnesses.

According to the MeT, many weather stations in the Kashmir Valley, including those in the north, south, and central regions, have also recorded cold wave conditions.

 

The higher reaches of the Kashmir Valley have continued to receive intermittent snowfall, while no major precipitation has been reported from the plains since late December, specifically after the light rainfall on December 21.

 

In the Jammu region, minimum temperatures remained above normal at most weather stations, including Jammu city, Katra, Reasi, Udhampur, and the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.

 

Jammu city remained the warmest, with a minimum temperature of 4.7 degrees Celsius. South Kashmir’s Pulwama emerged as the coldest at minus 4.6 degrees Celsius.

 

The Kashmir Valley is currently in the middle of the harshest winter period, Chillai-Kalan—a 40-day cold spell typically accompanied by heavy snowfall.
However, the deficit in rain and snowfall in the plains has caused uncertainty among the farming community in the region.

 

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