Srinagar, Dec 15: Much of Kashmir experienced a second consecutive warmer-than-usual night, with minimum temperatures staying above the freezing point across most parts of the valley, as overcast skies and light snowfall in higher reaches reduced overnight heat loss, meteorological officials said Monday.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius, slightly lower than Sunday’s 2 degrees but more than 3 degrees above the seasonal average.
Dense fog covered Srinagar and several other areas early Monday, particularly near water bodies, the Meteorological Department said.
Elsewhere in the valley, Qazigund registered a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius, Kokernag 2.4 degrees, Kupwara 1.6 degrees and Pahalgam 2.2 degrees. Gulmarg, the ski resort, recorded a minimum of 1 degree Celsius.
Awantipora in Pulwama district was the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir, with the temperature dipping to minus 0.8 degrees Celsius.
Shopian was the only other area below freezing at minus 0.1 degrees Celsius.
Meteorological officials attributed the relatively mild nights to cloud cover and a fresh spell of snowfall in higher elevations on Sunday, which prevented rapid cooling after sunset.
Day temperatures, however, dropped slightly due to persistent cloudiness.
The maximum temperature in Srinagar city settled at 11.4 degrees.
In the Jammu region, minimum temperatures remained largely stable. Jammu city recorded 11.4 degrees Celsius, unchanged from the previous night.
Banihal saw a drop to 3.1 degrees from 5.5 degrees, while Batote recorded 8.3 degrees and Katra hovered around 11 degrees Celsius.
In Ladakh, Leh recorded a minimum of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, significantly warmer than the previous night’s minus 5 degrees, while Kargil improved to minus 1.2 degrees from minus 4.6 degrees Celsius.
Kashmir is gradually approaching Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40-day winter period beginning Dec. 21, when temperatures typically fall sharply and snowfall becomes more frequent. So far, the region has not experienced any major wet spell this winter.
Doctors say the prevailing dry weather has led to a rise in seasonal ailments such as coughs and colds, advising children and the elderly to take precautions and limit exposure to cold conditions.
The MET Department has forecast partly to generally cloudy weather on Dec. 18 and 19, with the possibility of light rain or snowfall at scattered places on Dec. 20 and 21, coinciding with the onset of Chillai Kalan.