KO Photo: Abid Bhat
Srinagar- ‘Chillai-Kalan’ — the 40-day harshest winter period — begins in Kashmir valley from Monday amid sub zero temperatures in the Valley.
Chillai Kalan begins on December 21 and ends on January 30 each year.
The chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably during this period.
Meanwhile, there was some improvement in the minimum temperature across Kashmir on Sunday but the valley continued to experience sub-zero nights, MeT officials said.
The night temperature rose slightly across the valley last night owing to a cloud cover, but the minimum still settled below the freezing point, the officials said.
They said the cold conditions have resulted in the freezing of water supply lines in many areas of the valley as well as stagnant water bodies.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, slightly up from the previous night’s minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
The city had recorded the lowest night temperature of the season so far on the previous night.
The mercury in Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 7.7 degrees Celsius – up from minus 9.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday and the resort was the coldest recorded place in the union terriroty, the officials said.
They said Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 7.5 degrees Celsius – up from minus 9.2 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded the minimum of minus 5.7 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara, in the north, registered a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius and Kokernag, in the south, minus 5.3 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
The Meteorological (MeT) Office has said while no major snowfall is expected till the end of this month in the UT, there is a possibility of light snowfall at few places in Kashmir on Monday, the day the ‘Chillai-Kalan’ begins in the valley.
Chillai-Kalan, which begins with winter solstice on December 21, ends on January 3o next year, and the period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
It is followed by a 20-day long Chillai-Khurd (small cold) and a 10-day long Chillai-Bachha (baby cold).
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