After brief respite, mercury drops below freezing point in Kashmir

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Cold conditions returned to Kashmir after a brief respite, with minimum temperatures dropping several degrees to settle below the freezing point owing to clear night skies, officials said on Thursday.

Earlier this week, the cold conditions eased in Kashmir due to overcast night skies after snowfall and rain.

That changed on Wednesday night, with weather stations across Kashmir recording sub-zero temperatures.

Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius, a drop of 5 notches from 3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night, the officials said.

Central Kashmir's tourist resort of Sonamarg was the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir with a low of minus 7.3 degrees Celsius.

The resort, along with other higher reaches, received snowfall on Sunday and Monday.

North Kashmir's ski resort of Gulmarg was the second coldest place at minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, followed by south Kashmir's Pahalgam at minus 4.4 degrees Celsius.

Qazigund recorded a low of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, Kokernag minus 0.7 degrees Celsius and Kupwara minus 2 degrees Celsius -- a drop of four notches from Tuesday night.

The Meteorological Department has forecast generally dry weather in Kashmir till December 28. Spells of wet weather are likely around New Year's Eve.

Light snow at isolated higher reaches is likely on December 29. There is a possibility of light rain in the plains and light snow in the higher reaches from December 30 to January 1, the weather office said.