Jammu city shivered through its coldest night this season on Saturday, with the mercury plummeting to a bone-chilling 4.1 degrees Celsius. The entire Kashmir valley remained in the clutches of an intense dry cold wave, with temperatures dipping well below freezing across the region.
Srinagar, the winter capital, recorded a frigid -5.4 degrees Celsius, while popular tourist destinations like Gulmarg and Pahalgam saw lows of -4.5 and -6.3 degrees Celsius respectively. The biting cold extended to other parts of the state as well, with Katra registering 5.6 degrees Celsius, Batote at 2.3 degrees Celsius, and Bhaderwah and Banihal experiencing near freezing temperatures.
Even Ladakh’s Leh town felt the sting of the cold wave, recording a bone-numbing -12.8 degrees Celsius as the night’s lowest temperature.
Adding to the woes, this biting cold comes amidst the ongoing 40-day period of harsh winter known as “Chillai Kalan,” which began on December 21 and will continue until January 30. Worryingly, this Chillai Kalan has been exceptionally dry, devoid of any snowfall so far.
This lack of snowfall is a major concern, as the higher reaches of Kashmir rely heavily on winter snow to replenish their perennial water reservoirs. These reserves sustain crucial water bodies like lakes, rivers, streams, and springs throughout the summer months.
