No snow in Kashmir despite cloud cover

Srinagar: Although the night temperatures improved on Thursday due to a night-long partial cloud cover, the MET office said revellers will have to do without any snowfall in Kashmir this New Year`s Eve.

With the weather office saying there was only a remote possibility of rain or snow during the next 24 hours, the unprecedented dry spell is Kashmir has already resulted in a semi-drought situation.

"Night temperatures across the Valley improved today (Thursday) due to the nightlong partial cloud cover," a MET official told IANS.

"Against yesterday`s (Wednesday) minus 4.1, Srinagar city recorded minus 3.0 as the night`s lowest temperature. Similarly, against Wednesday`s minus 4.2, the lowest night temperature in Pahalgam was minus 2.3 while Gulmarg recorded minus 0.2."

According to the official, the night temperature also improved in Ladakh`s Leh town where Thursday`s minimum was minus 7.9 against Wednesday`s minus 12.9.

"The lowest night temperature was 8.4 in Jammu city while the Mata Vaishno Devi base camp town of Katra recorded 10.1, Batote 7.9, Bannihal 3.0 and Bhaderwah 3.6 as the minimum temperatures," he added.