MeT forecast proves wrong as south, central Kashmir wake up to fresh snowfall

Srinagar: Most parts of south and central Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Saturday even as the weatherman had forecast dry weather.

The fresh snowfall started on early weekend morning, mainly in central Kashmir’s Srinagar and Ganderbal districts besides parts of south Kashmir.

A meteorological department official said that Srinagar received 5.4cm of fresh snowfall till 8:30 am. A similar snow depth was reported from Ganderbal district.

The official said Qazigund, the gate town of Kashmir, received 9.6cm of fresh snowfall during the time. The famous tourist destinations of Pahalgam and Gulmarg along with Kokernag and Kupwara stations recorded no snowfall during the time, the official added. However, when this report was filed, snowfall started in other parts of the valley including Kupwara in north Kashmir and central Budgam district.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperatures recorded a plunge across the Valley with Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort, recording a low of minus 10.0°C, same as the previous night, the weatherman said.

Against minus 0.4°C on previous night, Srinagar recorded a low of minus 4.0° while mercury settled at minus 5.1 °C in Pahalgam against 3.3°C on the earlier night, minus 2.8°C in Qazigund against 1.8°C on the previous night, minus 5.4 against 1.7°C on previous night in Kupwara and minus 4.5°C against 1.6°C on previous night, the official said.

Kashmir is in the middle Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.

The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold). The Weatherman has forecast main dry weather with a possibility of isolated “very light” rain and snow for the next 24 hours.