Srinagar, Jan 16 : Cold conditions continued across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Friday as several places in the Kashmir Valley recorded sub-zero minimum temperatures, officials said.
In the Kashmir region, Pulwama was the coldest recorded place with a minimum temperature of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Shopian at minus 3.9 degrees Celsius. Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, while the temperature at Srinagar airport settled at minus 2.8 degrees Celsius.
Pahalgam, a south Kashmir tourist resort, recorded a minimum of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg, the ski resort in north Kashmir, registered minus 2.3 degrees Celsius. Anantnag and Awantipora also recorded lows of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius each. Kupwara recorded minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, while Bandipora recorded minus 0.7 degrees Celsius. Baramulla and Ganderbal recorded above-freezing temperatures at 0.4 degrees Celsius and 0.1 degrees Celsius, respectively.
In the Jammu region, minimum temperatures remained above freezing levels. Jammu city recorded a low of 4.
7 degrees Celsius, while Banihal recorded 2.9 degrees Celsius. Bhaderwah recorded 2.0 degrees Celsius, Udhampur 3.0 degrees Celsius, and Kathua 3.8 degrees Celsius, officials said.
In Ladakh, Leh recorded a minimum temperature of minus 8.8 degrees Celsius, while Hanle was colder at minus 11.2 degrees Celsius. Kargil recorded minus 8.3 degrees Celsius and Nubra Valley minus 7.1 degrees Celsius.
A Western Disturbance is likely to affect Jammu and Kashmir from late Friday afternoon, bringing light snowfall to higher reaches and cloudy conditions over the plains, weather observers said.
Director of the Meteorological Department Mukhtar Ahmad said light snowfall is expected over upper reaches, including Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg, as well as over mountain passes during the later part of the day and evening hours. He said the plains of the Kashmir Valley are likely to remain cloudy, with the possibility of light rain or very light snowfall at isolated places.(KNS).
