Srinagar: There was a slight respite from cold wave in Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region as minimum temperature increased in most parts even as rains and snowfall have been predicted at a few places.
The MET Department has said a fresh Western Disturbance (WD) would affect Jammu and Kashmir from today which could cause rainfall or snowfall at few places in the state.
"There is a possibility of scattered to fairly widespread rain or snow particularly tomorrow and day after," an official of the MET Department said here.
Meanwhile, the night temperatures in the Valley and Ladakh region, though continued to remain below the freezing point, went up slightly increasing the possibility of rains or snowfall.
Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recorded a low of minus 1.7 degrees Celsius - up by two degrees from the previous night`s minimum of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, the official said.
He said the mercury in south Kashmir`s Pahalgam hill resort settled at a low of minus 6.3 degrees Celsius, over four degrees up from minus 10.8 degrees Celsius the previous night.
The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius last night compared to minus 6.0 degrees Celsius the previous night. PTI SSB
Mercury settled at a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius in Qazigund - the gateway town to Kashmir Valley - as compared to the previous night`s minus 8.1 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 2.5 degrees Celsius, as against the previous night`s minus 3.8 degree Celsius, the official said.
The night temperature in south Kashmir`s Kokernag registered a minimum of minus 5.7 degrees Celsius last night, as against minus 5.2 degrees Celsius the previous night.
The mercury in Leh, in the frontier region of Ladakh, increased by over three degrees to settle at a low of minus 10.4 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night`s minus 13.7 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The nearby Kargil town recorded a low of minus 18.6 degrees Celsius as against the previous night`s minus 19.0 degrees Celsius and the town continued to be the coldest recorded place in the state for the past one week.
The region is currently going through `Chillai-Kalan`, considered as the harshest 40-day winter period, which began on December 21 last year.
During this period, Kashmir and Ladakh experience intense cold conditions and possibility of snowfall is also maximum and most frequent.
