Srinagar: The valley continued to reel under freezing temperatures despite the mercury rising at many places on Friday night. Leh was the warmest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir.
The minimum temperature in Leh rose by more than six degrees to settle at a low of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to Thursday night's minus 8.2 degrees Celsius, an official of the MET department said.
He said Kokernag in south Kashmir and Kupwara in north were the coldest recorded places on Friday night at minus 4.8 degrees Celsius.
Srinagar city, the summer capital of the state, witnessed a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, he said, adding other weather stations recorded minimum temperature between minus 4.6 degrees Celsius to minus 4.1 degrees Celsius.
The MeT official said there is possibility of light rain or snowfall at isolated places over higher reaches of Kashmir Valley over the next 24 hours.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' which is considered to be the harshest period of winter, when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
'Chillai-Kalan', which began on December 21 ends on January 31 next year, but the cold wave will continue after that. The 40-day period will be followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).
