Kashmir witnesses an improvement in the cold conditions as the night temperatures rose and settled above normal across the valley owing to overcast skies, officials said on Friday.
The mercury on Thursday night settled above the freezing point at most places, providing huge relief to the residents from the biting cold conditions, the officials said.
Several districts in southern, central Kashmir remained below freezing, including Pampore (-3.0°C), Pulwama (-2.6°C), Shopian (-2.5°C), Anantnag (-1.3°C) and Budgam (-0.6°C). Srinagar Airport and Awantipora also dipped below zero at -1.0°C and -1.2°C, respectively. Baramulla registered 1.8°C, while Ganderbal touched -0.2°C. Sonamarg and Zojila remained among the coldest locations at -1.2°C and -18.0°C, with Zethan Rafiabad recording -1.4°C.
The night temperature in Srinagar — the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir — settled at a low of 0.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday night, over four degrees up from minus 4 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said.
The gateway town to the valley, Qazigund, recorded a low of minus 0.2 degrees Celsius, while the mercury settled at 0.2 degrees Celsius in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, and 0.8 degrees Celsius in south Kashmir’s Kokernag, the officials said.
The meteorological department said there is a possibility of a brief spell of light snow at isolated places in the higher reaches late on Friday.
It said while the weather would remain generally dry on December 6-7, another brief spell of light snowfall at isolated places in the higher reaches is likely on December 8.
