Kargil town in Ladakh region froze at minus 20 degrees Celsius last night even as the minimum temperature across Kashmir continued to remain several degrees below the freezing point owing to dry weather. The mercury in nearby Leh town settled at a low of minus 10.9 degrees Celsius, an official of the MET department said here. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 3.3 degrees Celsius last night up by one degree from minus 4.3 degrees Celsius the previous night, the official said. The night temperature in Qazigund in south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius marginally up from yesterday's minus 4.4 degrees Celsius. The neighbouring Kokernag town saw mercury fall slightly to settle at a low of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius last night from minus 1.7 degrees Celsius 24 hours ago, the official said. He said Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius down from minus 4.7 degrees Celsius the previous night. The official said the night temperature in Pahalgam - the famous health resort which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra decreased from a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius the previous night to settle at a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius last night. Gulmarg - the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir - recorded the minimum temperature of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius down from minus 5 degrees Celsius yesterday. The MET department has predicted dry weather over the next week, indicating that there would be no let off in the cold wave conditions. The weather is likely to remain mainly dry in Kashmir till 20 January, though there may be light snowfall in higher reaches and the minimum temperature will continue to remain several degrees below the freezing point, the MET official said. He said the possibility of moderate to heavy snowfall in the valley or Ladakh region over the next two weeks is less. Kashmir is currently under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, a 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably. It ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in the valley. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long Chillai- Khurd (small cold) and a 10-day long Chillai-Bachha (baby cold).
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