It was the coldest night of the season in Srinagar on Monday as the 40-day long period of extreme cold called the 'Chillai Kalan' began in the Kashmir Valley."The minimum temperature was minus 5.6 degrees Celsius in Srinagar today (Monday). This is the lowest recorded this season so far," an official from regional Met department told IANS.The coldest town in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday was Leh in the Ladakh region where the minimum temperature dropped to minus 15.1 degrees Celsius, the official said.The minimum temperature was recorded at minus 7.2 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam and minus 11.0 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg.The minimum temperatures were 4.9 degrees Celsius in Jammu district, 5.3 degrees Celsius in Mata Vaishno Devi base camp town of Katra, 1.1 in Batote, 2.2 in Bannihal and minus two degrees Celsius in Bhaderwah.