We're In For A White Christmas: IMD Report Moderate To Heavy Snowfall After Srinagar Reports Coldest Night

An official of the Meteorological Department said that the current temperature for this time of the year is 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal.

New Delhi: The cold conditions intensified in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as Srinagar experienced the coldest night of the season so far, with the minimum temperature recorded at minus 6.0 degrees Celsius, 4.5 degrees below normal, on Saturday. The locals will not get any respite from the cold as the Meteorological Department has predicted a further decrease in temperature in the coming days.

An official of the Meteorological Department said that the temperature for this time of the year is 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal.

This is the first time in the past decade that the mercury has dipped to minus 6.0 degrees Celsius or more before the start of the 40-day long Chillai-e-Kalan of the season beginning December 21. In the last ten years, there have been four times when the mercury in Srinagar has dropped to minus 6.0 degrees Celsius or more.

On 19 December 2020, the mercury had dropped to minus 6.6 °C, while the lowest in December was recorded at 6.6 °C on the 30th day in 2019.

The lowest in the last ten years was recorded on 25 December 2017 when the mercury dipped to minus 7.7 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature ever recorded in December was on 13 of 1934 when the mercury dropped to minus 12.8 degrees Celsius.
   
Meanwhile, Gulmarg, a world-famous resort in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, recorded a low of minus 8.5 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 8.3 degrees Celsius.

Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a minimum temperature of 2.3 degrees Celsius, minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, below normal. This is the first time in 23 years that such a low temperature has been recorded in Jammu in December, the lowest temperature ever recorded was 0.9C on 28 December 1998.

Leh in Ladakh recorded a minimum temperature of minus 15.3 degrees Celsius, while it was minus 13.1 degrees Celsius at Automated Kargil station. Kargil, the world's second coldest place after Siberia, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 20.2 degrees Celsius in Drass, the official said.

The Meteorological Department has predicted widespread "moderate to heavy" snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from December 23 to 25. “As of today, widespread moderate to heavy snowfall (at some places) is likely during December 23-25. We are in for a White Christmas in both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said.

For the next few days, the night temperatures are likely to drop further as Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing cold weather for the past few days. The Meteorological Department has predicted fresh snowfall on December 24 and said that a Western Disturbance is affecting Jammu and Kashmir till December 24-26.