Jammu and Kashmir freezes in sub-zero temperatures

Srinagar: The cold tightened its grip on Jammu and Kashmir as the mercury plummeted by eight degrees in Leh in Ladakh region to register the season's lowest temperature and most parts of the Valley froze in sub-zero temperatures.

Leh recorded a minimum temperature of minus 14.1 degrees Celsius last night, against minus 6.3 degrees Celsius the previous night, an official of the MeT Department here said. It was the coldest night of the winter so far in the frontier town.

No fresh rains or snowfall was reported from any part of the Valley, the official said.

The nearby Kargil town registered a drop of over two notches in the night temperature as the minimum settled at minus 8.9 degrees Celsius, compared to the previous night's minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, he said.

School girls walk for tuitions after the snow was cleared on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Tuesday - PTI

Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recorded a low of 1.8 degree Celsius, over a degree up from 0.6 degree Celsius the previous night.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg registered a low of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 9.3 degrees Celsius the previous night. The mercury in Pahalgam hill resort, which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, settled at a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius, a drop of one degree from the previous night's minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, recorded a low of 0.2 degree Celsius, same as the previous night. Kokernag, in south Kashmir, which recorded a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, registered a low of minus 0.2 degree Celsius last night.

Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 3.0 degrees Celsius compared to minus 1.1 degree Celsius the previous night. The high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir experienced snowfall for three days from December 21, the day when the 'Chillai-Kalan', considered as the harshest 40-day winter period, started.

Snowfall ranging between one feet to four feet was reported from the high altitude areas including the famous cave shrine of Amarnath over the three days, while the plains received light snowfall and rains.

The MeT Department has said the weather in the Valley would mainly remain dry for the next 24 hours.