Srinagar, Dec 22: A Western disturbance is likely to hit and can cause rain or snow over the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours, officials said.
Meteorological Centre Srinagar predicted the weather mainly will remain partly to fairly cloudy at most places today with possibility of light rain/snow over isolated higher reaches during tonight/tomorrow early morning and improvement thereafter.
It said the weather will remain generally dry on December 24 to26 and generally cloudy with possibility of light snow over isolated higher reaches on December 27.
From December 28 till end of the month the weather will remain generally dry, the MeT office said and added overall no significant weather activity till ending December.
Kashmir Weather, an independent weather observer said precipitation in the form of rain/snow is anticipated in some areas during the late-night hours of Friday or the morning hours of Saturday. A spell of snowfall is possible in some plains as well.
He said “amid chilly weather in the Kashmir plains with temperatures well below freezing, there’s a glimmer of hope for some snowfall tonight. Although temperatures will rise by 3-5°C, it’ll still be cold enough for precipitation to occur in the form of snow, especially in the Shopian-Kulgam belt”.
He said the chances of snowfall are likely in Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam,Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara and a spell of snowfall can’t be ruled out at Gulmarg and Sonmarg, he said.
In view of the WD the minimum temperature improves at most stations and Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded below 1.3°C of the normal -2.0°C against the -3.3°C on Thursday.
The freezing cold continued in Kashmir valley resulting in choking of water taps and several water bodies in parts of iconic Dal Lake and other parts of the valley due to the impact of the falling temperatures.
The maximum temperature in Srinagar was1.8°C above the normal of 9.0°C recorded the previous day. Day temperature also recorded above normal in other parts of the Kashmir valley amid sun appearing during the period.
Qazigund, on Srinagar-Jammu national highway in south Kashmir settled at-3.0°C on Friday against -4.0°C and it was 1.0°C below normal, while Kokernag recorded a low of 2.4°C against the -3.0°C recorded on Thursday and it was 0.3°C below normal for the famous picnic spot of south Kashmir.
The mercury in Pahalgam further improved and was recorded at-4.8°C on Friday against the -5.8°C on Thursday. It was 0.2°C above normal for the tourist hot spot of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Gulmarg recorded a low of -1.4°C against the -3.0°C recorded a day ago. It was 4.8°C above normal for the famous ski resort of north Kashmir.
The minimum temperature at Kupwara had a low of -3.4°C against the -4.0°C recorded Thursday night. It was 0.8°C below normal for the frontier north Kashmir district, the MeT office said.
