Mercury settles below freezing point in Gulmarg, Pahalgam; Met forecasts rain, snow in Kashmir

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Gulmarg and Pahalgam recorded sub-zero temperatures on Monday night even as Kashmir continues to experience an unusually warm winter, the Meteorological Department officials said.

The mercury has remained three to four degrees above the season's average across the valley, they said.

The Met department has forecast rain or snowfall across the valley starting Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, overcast conditions were observed throughout the region.

The valley is currently going through 'Chilla-e-Kalan', a 40-day period of extreme cold. During this phase, night temperatures typically drop between three and eight degrees below the freezing point. However, current readings show a departure from normal patterns.

In Srinagar, the minimum temperature was recorded at 1.0 degrees Celsius, which is 3.6 degrees above normal for this time of the year. Gulmarg remained the coldest location in the valley, with the mercury settling at minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. Despite the sub-zero reading, this remained 4.3 degrees above the usual temperature.

In south Kashmir, Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius, 4.0 degrees above normal. Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, saw the mercury dip to 1.4 degrees Celsius, which is 4.1 degrees above the seasonal average.