Severe Cold Wave Persists in Kashmir Valley

Srinagar, January 10, 2025: The Kashmir Valley remains in the grip of an intense cold wave, with night temperatures staying several degrees below freezing despite a marginal improvement on Friday, officials reported.

Daytime temperatures in Srinagar on Thursday climbed to 2.4°C above the seasonal norm of 6.6°C. Similarly, other weather stations across the valley registered above-average daytime temperatures. However, the increase in daytime warmth has done little to ease the biting cold at night. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a minimum temperature of -4.3°C on the night between Thursday and Friday. Although this marked a slight rise of one degree, it remained 2.4°C below the usual average for this time of the year, according to the Meteorological Department.

The Met Office forecasts predominantly dry weather till January 15, with a possibility of light rain over the plains of Jammu and snowfall at isolated or scattered places across Jammu and Kashmir on January 11 and 12. The cold wave is expected to persist in specific areas of Jammu and Kashmir, it added. Pahalgam retained its position as the coldest place in the Kashmir Valley, with a minimum temperature of -10.0°C, a slight improvement from the previous night’s -10.4°C. This was still 3.8°C below average for the popular tourist destination in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

The ski resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of -8.1°C, an improvement from -9.6°C the night before, but remained 0.3°C below normal for this tourist hub in Baramulla district of North Kashmir.

Picturesque Sonamarg saw its night temperature rise to -7.6°C on Friday from -11.4°C recorded the previous night.

Meanwhile, Kupwara witnessed a drop in night temperature, recording -5.6°C compared to -4.6°C the night before, which was 3.0°C below the normal average for this northern frontier district.

Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of -5.7°C, slightly higher than the -5.9°C recorded on Thursday. However, Qazigund saw a further drop, recording -7.6°C compared to -6.2°C the previous night, which was 4.7°C below the average for this gateway to Kashmir along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, according to the Meteorological Department.