Jammu and Kashmir continues to reel under nail-biting cold as temperatures dipped below freezing points across several parts of the Valley, the India Meteorological Department said (IMD). In Jammu city, the maximum temperature is likely to be around 10 degrees Celsius, while the minimum is expected to settle at 4 degrees Celsius. According to the IMD forecast, Srinagar is likely to witness partly cloudy sky becoming generally cloudy towards afternoon or evening or night" in the region. The cold wave conditions have persisted across the Valley over the past few days. On Tuesday morning, dense fog was witnessed in Jammu city which disrupted normal life activities for the people, prompting both surface and air traffic getting to get halted due to poor visibility in the region.
Jammu city had 3.8 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature and the Meteorological (MeT) forecast said partly to generally cloudy weather is expected till January 18 and 19. Jammu might see generally cloudy weather with light rain or snow at isolated places on January 20, the forecast said. On January 20, generally cloudy weather with light rain/snow at isolated places. “Between January 21 to 23rd, partly to generally cloudy weather with light rain/snow at scattered places is expected," the MeT Department said.
Jammu weather forecast
For January 14, Jammu is likely to witness generally cloudy skies with maximum and minimum temperatures likely to hover around 10 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius, respectively. Similar weather conditions are expected to remain in Jammu region till January 17. Jammu is likely to experience partly to generally cloudy weather till January 18 and 19, the IMD forecast said. Between January 24 and January 25, partly cloudy weather is expected in the union territory. The MeT Department issued an advisory saying that a gradual rise in minimum temperature at many places is expected.
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“Moderate fog over plains of Jammu division with dense fog at isolated places is likely to continue during the next five days”, the advisory said. An alarming situation faces Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Valley, as the MeT Department has forecast mostly cold, dry weather till January 25. On Sunday, Jammu turned colder than Srinagar as the winter capital, as per Chatha observatory of SKUAST, recorded the day temperature of 10.6 Deg C while Srinagar registered 11.9 deg C.
| 13-Jan | Partly cloudy sky becoming generally cloudy towards afternoon, evening, or night |
| 14-Jan | Generally cloudy sky |
| 15-Jan | Generally cloudy sky |
| 16-Jan | Generally cloudy sky |
| 17-Jan | Generally cloudy sky |
| 18-Jan | Generally cloudy sky with light rain |
| 19-Jan | Generally cloudy sky with light rain |
Srinagar weather update
On Tuesday, the minimum temperature again dropped in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, and Srinagar city recorded minus 4.9 degrees Celsius as the night's lowest thermal reading. In Srinagar city, few people ventured out in the morning as harsh, chilly wind blew into the Valley from the mountain tops. With little prospect of any major snowfall in the next week, the bitter winter cold is likely to continue.
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As per the IMD forecast, Srinagar city is expected to record a maximum temperature of 12 degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus 4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Despite the biting cold, tourists were seen enjoying the chilly morning at Dal Lake in Srinagar, wrapped in warm layers of clothing to protect themselves from the cold wave. Many visitors described the winter season as having its own unique charm.
Popular tourist destinations across Jammu and Kashmir also continued to experience low temperatures. Gulmarg is expected to record a maximum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus 5 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam is likely to see a maximum of 11 degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus 7 degrees Celsius. In the Jammu region, Kathua is expected to record a maximum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 7 degrees Celsius, while Katra may see temperatures ranging between 15 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius.
The continued dry spell has raised alarm across the union territory. All the water bodies on which agriculture, horticulture and drinking water needs are based are in turn dependent on the heavy snowfall during the ongoing 40-day-long period of harsh winter cold called the ‘Chillai Kalan’. This crucial 40-day-long period is already more than halfway through, and the plains of the Valley are yet to witness this season’s first snowfall. Chillai Kalan ends on January 30. Snowfall in February and March is of little consequence as it melts quickly and does not help replenish the perennial water reservoirs in the mountains.
