Srinagar, Dec 17: Days ahead of 40-day harshest winter, known as “chillai kalan”, Kashmir valley continues to record sub-zero temperature.
The Kashmir valley has been recording sub-zero temperatures since November.
Srinagar recorded the minimum temperature of minus 2.4 degree Celsius against the minus 3.6 degree Celsius previous night which was incidentally the coldest so far this season.
The tourist resort of Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.3 degree Celsius against minus 5.3 degree Celsius on the previous night.
The minimum temperature in north Kashmir’s Gulmarg resort was registered at minus 2.0 degree Celsius and minus 3.8 degree Celsius in the frontier Kupwara town.
The mercury dropped to a low of minus 2.6 degree Celsius in the southern gateway town of Qazigund.
December has so far witnessed sub-zero temperatures in Kashmir and the weather has been dry.
The meteorological department (MeT) officials said the weather is expected to remain dry in J&K till December 22.
“There is no weather system till December 25,” an official of the MeT department said.
The ‘Chillai kalan’ begins annually on December 21 and it is considered the harshest winter period.
Jammu recorded a minimum temperature of 7.2 degree Celsius.
Leh town in Ladakh region recorded minus 7.6 degree Celsius and Kargil minus 12.1 degree Celsius, the MeT officials said.
