The weatherman on Monday forecasted “fairly widespread light rain and snow” in a couple of days from tomorrow even as mercury plummeted again in Kashmir with Srinagar, the summer capital of the state being the coldest place in Valley.Although there was a spell of early snowfall in the valley in the first and second week of November, the winter this season has been dry so far.The dry spell has resulted in an increase in common ailments like cough, cold and other respiratory problems, especially among children and elderly.A MeT official told GNS that there is the possibility of fairly widespread light snow and rain on January 1 and 2. On January 4 and 5, the MeT official said, there was the possibility of widespread moderate rains and snow across the Valley.The official said that Srinagar recorded a low o minus 6.6 degree Celsius, a day after it saw mercury to minus 2.2 degrees Celsius, nearly normal for this time of the year.
The summer capital last week saw mercury dropping to as low as minus 7.8 degree Celsius, coldest night after 7 December 1990 when low temperature settled at minus 8.8 Degree Celsius.The all-time low recorded in the month of December in Srinagar is minus 12.8 degrees Celsius on December 13, 1934.Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.'Chillai-Kalan' ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir.The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius and it was minus 5.5 degree Celsius in Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir.The official said Qazigund the gateway town to the valley - in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.7 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Kokernag town registered a low of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius on Sunday night.Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.3 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, he said. (GNS)