Srinagar, Nov 27: Frosty mornings and sub-zero temperatures marked the intensifying chill across Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh on Wednesday, according to weather forecasts.
“The cold made it hard to leave my bed this morning,” shared Mansha Ameen, a 27-year-old graphic designer.
Srinagar woke up to foggy skies, while the surrounding snow-covered mountains gleamed in the morning light.
South Kashmir’s Shopian recorded the coldest temperature in the region at -4.6°C, followed closely by Pahalgam (-4.4°C) and Larnoo (-3.9°C). Popular tourist destination Gulmarg registered -2.6°C, while Srinagar saw a low of -0.6°C. Kokernag recorded the valley’s highest minimum temperature at 0.4°C.
In the Jammu region, temperatures varied. Padder experienced a biting -5.8°C, the region’s lowest, while Ramban was the warmest at 11.8°C. Jammu city recorded 10.1°C, with Batote (5.6°C) and Bhaderwah (1.6°C) reflecting the gradual onset of peak winter.
Ladakh saw the harshest conditions, with Drass, known as the second-coldest inhabited place on Earth, plummeting to -11.2°C. Leh and Kargil recorded lows of -8.6°C and -6.8°C, respectively. Minimarg near Zojila recorded a bone-chilling -15°C, as per independent weather reports.
As the season advances, the 40-day harsh winter period known locally as Chillai Kalan looms, promising an even more frigid phase for Ladakh and Kashmir. Jammu’s plains, however, are likely to offer relative warmth.