Snowfall continues at many places across Kashmir

Kashmir experienced the seasons's first major snowfall yesterday with the plains receiving snowfall between 5 inches to 22 inches, an official of the Meteorological (MeT) office said here.

The higher reaches of the Valley and Jammu received heavy snowfall, he said.

The official said Srinagar  the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recorded 23 cm of snowfall in the last 24 hours, the official said.

The city registered a minimum temperature of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, he said.

The official said Qazigund town in south Kashmir recorded 19 cm of snowfall, while Kokernag received 58 cm.

The night temperature at Qazigund and Kokernag settled at a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius and minus 4.9 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir received 11 cm of snow and the mercury there settled at a low of minus 0.9 degrees Celsius, he said.

Pahalgam, the south Kashmir resort which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, received 39 cm of snowfall in the last 24 hours, while the minimum there settled at minus 7.9 degrees Celsius, the official said.

He said Gulmarg -– the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir –- recorded 45 cm of snow and the mercury there settled at a low of minus 10.5 degrees Celsius, which was colder than Leh.

Leh town in the Ladakh region of the state recorded a low of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Kargil town registered a low of minus 14 degrees Celsius.

Kargil was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir, the official said.

The MeT office has said the weather is likely to improve later today.