Kashmir snowfall: Fresh snow, light snow forecasted, temperature rises

Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Thursday, with the higher reaches of the valley experiencing spells of wet weather, and more snow expected in the coming days, according to the weather office.

Tourist hotspots like Pahalgam, Sonamarg, and areas along the Zojila axis, along with higher regions in Budgam, Gurez, Bandipora, Ganderbal, and other places, saw snowfall early in the morning. Plains in Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama, and Baramulla also received light snowfall, officials reported. In Srinagar, light snowflakes began falling later in the day.

The Meteorological Department forecasted generally cloudy weather with light rain or snow at scattered locations in Kashmir for the rest of the day. It also warned of the possibility of light snow in isolated higher areas over the weekend, with light to moderate snowfall expected from January 22-23.

Thanks to overcast conditions, minimum temperatures across Kashmir saw a slight increase, providing some relief from the intense cold. Srinagar's minimum temperature settled at minus 2.5°C on Wednesday night, up from minus 4.8°C the previous night. Gulmarg recorded minus 7°C, while Pahalgam's temperature was minus 4.2°C, up from minus 8.4°C.

Kashmir is currently experiencing "Chillai-Kalan," the harshest winter phase, which began on December 21 and runs for 40 days. This period brings the highest chances of snowfall and significantly lower temperatures. "Chillai-Kalan" ends on January 30 and is followed by "Chillai-Khurd" (small cold) and "Chillai-Bachha" (baby cold).