Cold Wave Grips Jammu Kashmir as Temperatures Plummet | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Minimum temperatures plummeted across Jammu Kashmir on last night, with most areas of the Kashmir Valley reeling under severe cold as the mercury dipped several degrees below freezing, according to data compiled by Kashmir Weather.

Srinagar recorded a low of –3.6°C, while the Srinagar Airport area was even colder at –4.0°C. Pulwama, at –5.5°C, was among the coldest in the Valley, followed by Shopian at –5.0°C and Baramulla at –4.7°C. Tourist destinations Pahalgam and Gulmarg registered –4.6°C and 0.0°C respectively. Several districts, including Budgam (–4.3°C), Awantipora (–4.2°C), and Bandipora (–3.6°C), also remained firmly in the sub-zero range.

In the Jammu region, temperatures remained above freezing but still dipped notably. Jammu and its airport recorded 8.5°C, while Katra recorded 9.4°C. Higher-altitude locations such as Bhaderwah (1.9°C) and Udhampur (2.8°C) experienced colder conditions, with Rajouri (1.6°C) reporting one of the lowest minimums in the region.

Ladakh remained the coldest part of the Union Territory, with Leh plunging to –7.8°C, Kargil to –7.0°C, and Nubra Valley to –6.3°C, reflecting the continued intensity of the winter chill in the high-altitude desert.

The widespread dip in temperatures indicates the deepening winter as the region moves closer to the 40-day harshest winter period, known locally as Chillai Kalan.