Local Metrological Department Saturday said that it doesn’t expect any major change in weather and the Kashmir Valley will continue to be in the grip of intense cold in coming days.Jammu and Kashmir has been reeling under intense cold weather as minimum temperature dipped further below freezing point. “Plains will witness dry weather in coming days while the possibility of snowfall in higher reaches cannot be ruled out,” Director MeT Sonam Lotus told CNS.As the extreme cold tightened its grip on the valley in Chillai Kalan, most water bodies including lakes, rivers and streams have started to freeze, giving tough time to the common people.Mercury dipped below the freezing point in Srinagar and settled at minus 3.2degrees compared to previous night's minimum of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius.
“The minimum temperature was minus 3.2 in Srinagar on Saturday. It was minus 4.0 in Qazigund town, minus 4.4 in Pahalgam, minus 5.7 in Gulmarg and minus 3.0 in Kupwara town of the valley,” MeT said adding that the minimum temperatures were minus 10.1 and minus 9.0 respectively in Leh and Kargil towns of Ladakh region.“In the Jammu region the minimum temperature was 5.0 in Jammu city, 6.5 in Vaishno Devi Shrine base camp town of Katra, 3.1 in Batote, 1.5 in Banni hal and zero degrees Celsius in Bhaderwah town.”An official told CNS that the Mechanical Engineering Department has kept 103 snow cutters ready for snow clearance while Border Roads Organization would press 133 snow clearance machines into service for clearing snow on Jammu-Srinagar Highway. (CNS)