No respite in freezing cold conditions in Kashmir

Srinagar: There is no respite in freezing cold conditions in Kashmir valley even as the minimum temperature shows an improvement at places on Friday.
Meteorological Centre forecast of weather mostly cloudy with chances of light snow over isolated places during December 26 over higher reaches of north and northwestern parts of valley and light to moderate Rain/Snow over isolated places of Jammu and at scattered places of Kashmir during December 29-30. The minimum temperature would improve from December 26 till the end of the month.
There was a slight improvement in minimum temperature in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, after experiencing the season’s coldest night on Thursday with temperature plummeting to minus 5.5 degree Celsius, recorded at minus 4.8 degree Celsius on Friday. It was still minus 2.8 degree Celsius below normal during this period of the season.
Tourist hot spot of Pahalgam in south Kashmir continued to be the coldest part of the Kashmir valley although the minimum temperature improved a few notches recorded at minus 6.4 degree Celsius on Friday against minus 6.8 degree Celsius the previous night. It was minus 1.4 degree Celsius below normal during this time of the season for the valley of Shepherds.
Ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir had a low of minus 5.5 degree Celsius against 5.8 degree Celsius against the previous night. However, it was 0.3 degree Celsius above normal for the valley of meadow during this period of the season.
The night temperature dipped at Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu national highway recorded a low of minus 4.6 degree Celsius against minus 4.4 degree Celsius a day ago while the minimum temperature improved at Kukernag a few notches recorded a low of minus 2.8 degree Celsius against 3.3 degree Celsius against a day ago.
The frontier Kashmir district of Kupwara settled on minus 5.1 degree Celsius for the second consecutive day on Friday, the MeT office said.