SRINAGAR: Freezing cold continues to grip Kashmir even as minimum temperature slightly improved at several places on Friday. The Meteorological Centre Srinagar predicted that the weather is likely to remain clear at most places today. A Western Disturbance (WD) is likely to hit on December 16 and can cause light snowfall over extremely higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir. it said.
Thereafter the weather will mainly remain dry from December 17-24 with cold conditions to continue over most places of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shallow to moderate fog will also hunt at many places of Kashmir division during the period, the MeT office said.
There was no let up in freezing cold conditions in Srinagar despite night temperature improving and recorded at -3.5°C after experiencing the season’s coldest night at -5.4°C a day ago.
The Meteorological Centre Srinagar said that Konibal in South Kashmir was the coldest place in Kashmir recording -5.5°C last night.
Pahalgam remained the coldest place and had a low of -5.0°C against the -5.8°C recorded the previous night. It was 1.2°C below normal for south Kashmir’s tourist hot spot.
The minimum temperature at Gulmarg improved slightly and recorded at -4.2°C against the -5.0°C on Thursday. It was 0.8°C above normal for the famous ski resort of north Kashmir.
The mercury at Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu national highway also witnessed an improvement and recorded at -2.8°C against the -3.8°C recorded the previous night while Kokernag dipped to -1.9° against the –1.6°C recorded a day ago.
The minimum temperature at Kupwara settled at -4.2°C for the second consecutive day on Friday and it was 2.5°C below normal for the frontier north Kashmir district, the MeT office said.