Kashmir's dry spell likely to end next week

Kashmir is likely to receive light snow and rain next week, bringing an end to the prolonged dry spell in the valley, the weather office said on Friday. It said dry weather is likely to continue till January 24 with generally cloudy weather on Saturday evening.

There is a possibility of light snow at isolated places in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir on January 25, an official of the MeT Department said.

He said from January 26-28, light rain or snow is likely over scattered places in J-K.

"From January 29-31, as per the indications of different models, the possibility of light to moderate rain/snow at many places is very likely, the official said.

A dry and largely snowless winter in Kashmir has resulted in freezing nights and warmer than usual days.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of "Chilla-i-Kalan", a 40-day harsh winter period when a cold wave sweeps the region and temperatures drop considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies as well as water in pipes.

The chances of snowfall are the highest during this period and most areas, particularly the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall.

However, Kashmir has been going through a prolonged dry spell and a 79 per cent deficit in rainfall was recorded for December while there has been no precipitation in most parts of the valley in the first fortnight of January.

'Chilla-i-Kalan' will end on January 31. However, the cold conditions will continue after that with a 20-day 'Chilla-i-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day 'Chilla-i-Bachha' (baby cold).

Srinagar city recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.9 degrees Celsius on Thursday night, dropping slightly from the previous night's minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, the officials said.

Qazigund recorded a low of minus 5 degrees while in the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir it was minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, they said.

Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.3 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Kokernag town settled at minus 1.4 degrees Celsius and in Kupwara at minus 5 degrees Celsius.