Rains and snowfall expected in Kashmir Valley

Srinagar: Rains and snowfall is expected at a few places in Kashmir which will bring some respite from the cold and dry weather conditions in the Valley, a MeT Department official said.

"Rains or snowfall could occur at a few places in Kashmir division, bringing an end to the month-long dry spell," the official said here. The Valley has been going through a spell of dry weather over the past more than a month, although the winter set in early this season with high altitude areas, including Gulmarg, recording the first snowfall at the fag end of October. The residents in most parts of the Valley, including Srinagar, woke up to an overcast sky indicating an increased possibility of rains or snow. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a minimum of 0.9 degrees Celsius as against the previous night`s 0.6 degrees Celsius, the official said. He said the night temperature in the tourist resort of Pahalgam also increased from the previous night`s low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius to settle at a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius. The mercury in the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg settled at a low of 0.3 degree Celsius as against zero degrees Celsius the previous night, the official said. He said Qazigiund, the gateway town to Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 0.3 degree Celsius, against the last night`s 0.7 degrees Celsius. Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of 1.4 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara town in north recorded a minimum of minus 1.7 degrees Celsius, the official said. The minimum temperature in Leh town of frontier region of Ladakh settled at minus 8.5 degrees Celsius as against the previous night`s minus 8.7 degrees Celsius, the official said. He said Leh continues to remain the coldest place in the state. The nearby Kargil town recorded a low of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius, he said.