IMD Predicts More Snow, Rain as Cold Wave Tightens Grip on North

As Per IMD, Cold Wave Conditions Are Likely to Continue for One Week With a Possibility of Fresh Snow and Rain Between January 1 and 3

A cold wave has gripped large swathes of northern India, with fresh snowfall blanketing the upper reaches and pushing temperatures below zero at several places in the Himalayan region.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cold wave conditions are likely to continue for a week, with the possibility of fresh scattered snow and rain in the region between January 1 and 3.

The temperature in Gulmarg and Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir dropped several degrees below the freezing point, even as the rest of the Valley experienced extended relief from the harsh winter, weather officials said on Monday.

Gulmarg, a tourist resort town in north Kashmir known as a skiing hub, recorded a night temperature of -10°C on Monday, down by two degrees compared to the previous night, the meteorological department said.

Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of -9.2°C on Monday, down from -8.5°C the previous night, the weather office said.

In Srinagar, night temperature dipped to -0.9°C, little more than a degree above the normal temperature for this time of the year, it said. Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, logged a minimum temperature of -2.8°C, while Konibal in Parampore recorded a low of -1.4°C, the weather office said.