Snowfall in Gulmarg. (Press Trust of India)
Intense cold wave gripped the Kashmir division including the Ladakh region as Kargil became the coldest recorded place this winter with the mercury plunging to 20 degrees below the freezing point.
"The minimum temperature recorded in Kargil town of Ladakh region was minus 20 degrees Celsius last night," a Meteorological department official said today.
He said this was the lowest recorded minimum temperature this winter in Kashmir division. Kargil had witnessed minus 17.2 degrees Celsius on January 9.
Leh town in Ladakh recorded a low of minus 14.1 degrees.
Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recorded a minimum temperature of 0.7 degrees, owing to overcast skies.
It was the only place in the Valley where the mercury stayed above the freezing point last night.
The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir's minimum temperature was minus 10.0 degrees.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a low of minus 11.2 degrees, the official said.
Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu national highway recorded a low of minus 2.2 degrees, he added.
Kupwara recorded a low of minus 2.2 degree Celsius.
Kokernag resort in south Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 2.1 degree Celsius.
The weatherman has predicted dry weather across Kashmir over the next 24 hours.