Chillai Kalan ends, but chill remains

The Kashmir valley witnessed freezing temperatures overnight even as the winter’s harshest phase — known as Chillai Kalan in local parlance — ended in the region with multiple spells of heavy snowfall.

The minimum temperature across the Kashmir valley dropped drastically overnight with tourist resorts across Kashmir, which are layered with several feet of snow, registering a fall of more than 10 degrees below the 0°C.

The drop in night temperatures varied from place to place overnight and ranged from -3.9°C in Srinagar city in central Kashmir to -12°C in Gulmarg tourist resort in north Kashmir.

Srinagar city, which had witnessed bright sunny day yesterday, which was the last day of Chillai Kalan, recorded a bitterly cold night and the temperatures are further expected to drop in the coming nights.

Gulmarg resort — a famous skiing destination where powdered snow attracts skiers from around the world — remained the coldest place in the Valley with mercury falling to a low of -12°C.

Another famous tourist destination, Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of -11.8°C.

The minimum temperature in southern gateway town of Qazigund in south Kashmir was recorded at -5.5°C, while the frontier Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of -4.2°C.

The drop in night temperature has come even as the 40-day long winter’s coldest period ended in the region yesterday.

TNS