Due to a clear night sky, temperatures decreased across Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. The Meteorological Department forecasts cloudy but mostly dry weather for the next 48 hours. In Srinagar, the minimum temperature was one degree Celsius, while Gulmarg and Pahalgam recorded minus 7 and minus 6.2 degrees respectively.
Jammu city experienced 6 degrees Celsius, Katra town 6.5, Batote 2.8, Banihal minus 1.1, and Bhaderwah minus 2.8 degrees as the lowest temperatures of the night. The Meteorological Department predicts generally dry weather from January 2 to January 5. The ‘Chillai Kalan’, a 40-day period of intense winter cold, began on December 21, with no snowfall in the plains of the Valley so far this season.
Earth scientists warn that the absence of heavy snowfall during the ‘Chillai Kalan’ could lead to problems in the summer months. Despite recent snowfall in the mountains, the scientist explains that insufficient snow in the plains could impact the replenishment of water reservoirs in higher reaches. Locals eagerly await the first snowfall in various towns, hoping for plentiful snowfall this winter for environmental reasons.
