Srinagar, Dec 9: Ski resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla and other reaches of Kashmir and Ladakh received fresh snowfall on Friday while Meteorological Department predicted more snow and rains during next 24 hours.
Pertinently, MeT had already made a forecast for light snowfall of 1-2 inches in plains of Kashmir and around 10 inches over upper reaches during the December 9 evening to December 10.
MeT officials said here that ski- resort of Gulmarg received 0.6 cm of snowfall and Leh 0.5 cm. There was light snowfall at the upper reaches of Sonamarg and some upper reaches of the Valley.
“Pahalgam received 2.0 mm of rainfall while Kokernag had traces of it till 0830 hours,” they said, adding that light snow (1-2 inches) likely (50 per cent chance) in plains of Kashmir tonight till tomorrow forenoon whereas few higher reaches may receive 4-6 inches of snow particularly over Gulmarg, Sonamarg-Zojila-Gumri axis, Razdan pass, Sadhna pass, Mughal road and Sinthan pass,” they said.
MeT officials said that a feeble Western Disturbance (WD) was also expected to hit J&K on the night of December 12 and 13. “There is a possibility of snowfall over higher reaches under its influence in Kupwara, Bandipora and Ganderbal,” they said. “Dry weather is expected thereafter till December 18,” they added.
Srinagar, they said, continued to reel under a grip of cold weather conditions even the minimum temperature, showing an improvement on Friday recorded as a low of 1.0 degree Celsius against minus 2.8 degree Celsius recorded the previous night which was 1.6 degree Celsius above normal during this time of the period.
The officials said Qazigund recorded a low of 0.2°C against minus 3.0°C on the previous night. The temperature was 1.0°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, they said.
Pahalgam recorded a low of 0.7°C against season’s minus 3.6°C on previous night and it was 3.9°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, they said.
They said Kokernag recorded a low of 1.1°C against minus 1.8°C on the previous night and it was 1.8°C above normal for the place.
Ski resort of Gulmarg, they said, recorded a low of 3.0°C against minus 2.8°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.7°C above normal.
In Kupwara town, MeT officials said, the mercury settled at 1.0°C against minus 2.5°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 2.8°C above normal for the north Kashmir place.
MeT officials said Jammu recorded a low of 12.7°C against 7.6°C on the previous night. It was 2.7°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital. Banihal recorded a low of 4.8°C (above normal by 2.7°C), Batote 4.4°C (0.4°C above normal), Katra 11.0°C (2.4°C above normal) and Bhaderwah 4.5°C (3.2°C above normal), they added.
In Ladakh, they said, Leh recorded minus 4.8°C, Kargil minus 5.6°C and Drass, the world’s second coldest place after Siberia, recorded a low of 5.6°C.