Due to nightlong cloud cover, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, experienced a rise in the minimum temperature above zero on Sunday. The Meteorological Department has predicted light rain/snow from December 30 to January 1. Srinagar city recorded 0.8 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg and Pahalgam had temperatures below zero.
Jammu city saw a minimum temperature of 8.1 degrees Celsius, with Katra at 8.2, Batote at 6.9, Banihal at 4.5, and Bhaderwah at 1.6 degrees Celsius. The MeT Department forecasts cloudy weather until Monday, with expectations of light rain/snow from December 30 to January 1. Further, light rain/snow is anticipated in many places, with moderate snowfall in central and northern parts of the Kashmir Valley from December 31 to January 1.
The ‘Chillai Kalan,’ a 40-day period of severe winter cold, began on December 21 and will conclude on January 30. This period’s heavy snowfall replenishes the water reservoirs in the mountains, crucial for sustaining rivers, streams, and lakes during the summer months. The absence of snow during Chillai Kalan can lead to drought conditions in the summer.
Kashmiris eagerly await snowfall during this period, especially as New Year’s Eve approaches. Hotels in Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam are fully booked as tourists flock to witness the snow. These visitors hope for a memorable holiday with good snowfall on New Year’s Eve.
Recalling the past, elders in Kashmir reminisce about the heavy snowfall during Chillai Kalan. The picturesque sight of icicles hanging from rooftops, reflecting sunlight in various colors, is etched in their memories. In those days, heavy snow would block roads for days, and locals relied on homegrown produce, poultry eggs, and cow’s milk.
