Kashmir shivers a day ahead of Chillai Kalan, the harshest winter period

SRINAGAR, DEC 20 – Sub-zero temperatures showed no signs of relenting on Tuesday as Kashmir Valley braces up for one of the harshest winter periods of 40 days, called Chillai Kalan beginning on December 21.

The bone-chilling cold period is followed by a 20-day-long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and 10-day-long ‘Chillai Bacha’.

A meteorological department official here told that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.4°C against the previous night’s minus 3.1°C. While the mercury was 1.9°C below normal during this time of the year, it was only two notches less that than this season’s lowest of minus 3.6°C recorded on Friday last, the official said.

Qazigund recorded a low of minus 3.6°C against minus 3.2°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.0°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.

He said that Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 5.4°C against minus 4.8°C on previous night and it was 1.0°C below normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.8°C, the same as on the previous night and it was 0.1°C below normal for the place, he said.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 4.0°C against minus 2.5°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.8°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official told GNS.

In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 3.9°C against minus 3.5°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 1.5°C below normal for the north Kashmir place, he said.

Jammu recorded a low of 6.7°C against 7.4°C on the previous night. It was 2.2°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal recorded a low of minus 1.2°C (below normal by 2.7°C), Batote 2.1°C (1.3°C below normal), Katra 7.5°C (0.1°C below normal) and Bhadarwah 0.3°C (0.1°C below normal).

In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded low of minus 11.8°C respectively, the official said.

“The weather is expected to be dry till December 25,” the official said.  “As per latest model analysis, weather is mostly likely to be cloudy with chances of light to moderate rain/snow over isolated places of Jammu to scattered places of Kashmir specifically over middle & higher reaches during last few days of 2022.”