Kashmir valley receives fresh snowfall

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Photo for representation only.

Kashmir valley, including the summer capital Srinagar, experienced fresh snowfall on Wednesday, even as the Met department said that the weather was likely to improve later today.

Fresh snowfall began at many places across the valley including Srinagar, breaking the intense cold wave conditions.

Pahalgam, tourist resort – which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra – recorded three cm of fresh snow last night, an official a MeT official said.

He said Qazigund – the gateway town to the valley – in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 2.9 degrees – up by over four degrees from minus 7.2 degrees Celsius on the previous night.

The nearby Kokernag town registered a low of minus 3.0 degrees Celsius Tuesday night – down from minus 7.2 degrees Celsius.

The mercury in Kupwara town in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius as against the Monday night’s minus 7.7 degrees Celsius, the official said.

Gulmarg ski-resort in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 6.0 degrees Celsius Tuesday night – an increase of four degrees from the Monday night.

Pahalgam tourist resort recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius – an increase of over eight degrees from the previous night’s minus 12.3 degrees Celsius, the official said.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ – the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably. (With PTI inputs)