No major snowfall in Jammu & Kashmir expected this December, weather to remain cold and dry

Srinagar

The Jammu and Kashmir region is set for an extended period of dry and cold weather, with the Meteorological Centre in Srinagar forecasting no significant precipitation until at least December 5. The stable but frigid conditions have prompted local authorities to announce the commencement of winter vacations for schools.

According to the forecast from the Met Centre, generally dry weather will prevail until December 3. A shift to mostly cloudy skies is anticipated on December 4 and 5, particularly from the evening of the 4th, bringing only a slim chance of a brief spell of light snowfall over isolated higher altitudes.

Looking further ahead, the department indicated that from December 6 through to December 10, conditions will remain partly to generally cloudy across the Union Territory, with cloudy weather likely to persist on December 11 and 12. Crucially, the weather office stated that no major weather disturbance is expected during this entire forecast period, with overall stable conditions anticipated for most of the Valley and Jammu region.

However, the dry spell is accompanied by challenging visibility issues. The forecast warns of shallow to moderate fog likely at many places in the Kashmir division and at isolated locations in the Jammu division, especially during nighttime and early morning hours. The MeT has advised locals to exercise caution while travelling in areas prone to poor visibility.

Temperatures are expected to remain cold and dry until December 4, after which a slight improvement is predicted. The centre forecasts a rise of around 1 to 2 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures from December 4 onward.

As the cold wave intensifies, the state administration has moved to implement winter breaks for educational institutions. Authorities have announced that winter vacation for classes up to 8th standard will begin on December 1, while for classes 9 to 12, the break will start from December 11.

In response to the biting cold, residents have begun donning the traditional Kashmiri winter attire, the ‘Pheran’ — a long, tweed overgarment. In rural areas and many urban neighbourhoods, people are complementing this with the ‘Kangri’, a portable earthen firepot woven in willow wicker filled with live charcoal, carried beneath the Pheran for warmth.

The current cold snap serves as a prelude to the region’s harshest winter period, the 40-day ‘Chillai Kalan’, which begins annually on December 21 and ends on January 30. During this phase of extreme cold, water bodies across the Valley typically freeze and residents often grapple with frozen water taps each morning.