Fresh snowfall and rains have hit the Kashmir Valley, with over a foot of snowfall recorded in Gulmarg. According to the weather department, the rain and snow are expected to continue until the afternoon, with improvement forecasted for the following days.
The weather is expected to be partly cloudy on February 7 and 8 and widespread snowfall and rain is expected from February 9-11.
On February 7 and 8, a meteorological department official here told ProKashmiri that the weather would be “partly cloudy”. “Widespread light to moderate snowfall and rain was expected at many places from February 9-11,” he said. However, he said, “no major snowfall” was expected during the next one week.
The last 24 hours saw Srinagar receive 5.2mm of rain, Qazigund 5.6mm, Kukernag 11.2mm, Jammu 1mm, Banihal 9.0mm, Batote 9.2cm, Katra 1.2mm, and Bhaderwah 3.6mm, while Gulmarg received 35 cms (1.14-ft) of snowfall, Kupwara 5cms and Pahalgam 2cms. The minimum temperature in Srinagar was 1.8°C, Qazigund recorded minus 1.6°C, Pahalgam minus 0.2°C, Kokernag minus 1.1°C, Gulmarg minus 3.6°C, and Kupwara minus 0.3°C. Jammu recorded a low of 11.9°C, Banihal 4.2°C, Batote 3.1°C, Katra 10.5°C, and Bhadarwah 3.8°C. Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 9.5°C and minus 14.0°C respectively.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of a 20-day-long period known as ‘Chillai-Khurd’, which will be followed by a 10-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Bachha’ from February 20 to March 1.