A severe cold wave tightened its grip over Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Wednesday as minimum temperatures plunged several degrees below the seasonal average, leaving most parts of the Valley frozen under bone-chilling conditions.
Srinagar recorded its coldest night of the season at minus 3.9 degrees Celsius, about four degrees below normal for this time of the year. The airport area logged a similar minus 4.0 degrees. Shopian shivered at minus 6.2 degrees, emerging as the coldest place in the Valley, followed closely by Baramulla at minus 5.9 degrees, Pulwama at minus 5.8 degrees, Pampore and Anantnag at minus 5.5 degrees, and Awantipora at minus 5.0 degrees.
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In central and north Kashmir, Budgam and Bandipora recorded minus 4.2 degrees each, Kupwara and Qazigund minus 4.0 and minus 3.4 degrees respectively, while Sonamarg settled at minus 3.1 degrees and Ganderbal at minus 2.8 degrees.
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Famous tourist destination Pahalgam registered a minimum temperature of minus 4.6 degrees, while Kokernag remained relatively less cold at minus 1.4 degrees. Gulmarg, the famous ski resort, recorded 0.0 degrees. High-altitude areas bore the brunt of the freezing conditions, with the strategic Zojila Pass on the Srinagar–Leh highway plummeting to an extreme minus 16 degrees Celsius, prompting authorities to issue fresh advisories for motorists.
In the Jammu region, temperatures stayed above the freezing point in the plains, with Jammu city recording 8.8 degrees Celsius, Katra 8.5, and Kathua 8.0 degrees. The upper reaches, however, experienced cold conditions with Banihal at minus 0.7 degrees and Bhaderwah at 0.5 degrees.
Ladakh continued to reel under a harsh cold spell as Kargil recorded minus 9.0 degrees, Leh minus 8.2 degrees, and Nubra Valley minus 6.8 degrees. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the weather is likely to remain mainly dry across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh over the coming week, offering little respite from the prevailing cold wave.