The mercury settled above the freezing point across the Kashmir Valley except in Gulmarg. (PTi Photo)
Few areas in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir received light snowfall even as there was improvement in the minimum temperature across the Valley and Ladakh region, with a forecast about possibility of a spell of wet weather since Wednesday.
Light snowfall and rains were experienced in few areas along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, a Meteorological Department official said.
He said the areas near Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop received fresh intermittent light snowfall and rains. Reports of snowfall were received from other areas in the higher reaches like Bhaderwah where 2 cm of snow was recorded. However, the rains and snow did not affect the traffic on the 300-km arterial road, the only all-weather road-link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.
Though there was some snowfall and rains, that did not affect the traffic, a spokesman of the Traffic Department said.
The Meteorological Department has said there are chances of light rains or snow at isolated places in the state today. There is also a possibility of light to moderate snowfall, especially in the higher reaches, for a few days from February 10, the official said.
Meanwhile, there was improvement in the minimum temperature in Kashmir and Ladakh region and the mercury settled above the freezing point across the Valley except in Gulmarg.
The mercury jumped nearly two notches in Srinagar to settle at a low 2.5 degrees Celsius against the previous night's 0.8 degree Celsius, the official said.
He said the night temperature in Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, registered a low of 0.2 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night's minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.
The north Kashmir town of Kupwara recorded the minimum of 1.8 degrees Celsius, an increase of over three degrees from minus 1.5 degrees Celsius the previous night, the official said.
He said Kokernag town in south Kashmir registered a low of 2.3 degrees Celsius as compared to 1.2 degrees Celsius the previous night.
The official said Pahalgam hill resort in south, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra during summer, recorded a low of 0.1 degree Celsius, up over three notches from the previous night's minus 3.3 degrees Celsius.
He said the mercury decreased in the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir where it settled at minus 1.8 degrees Celsius as against the previous night's minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Kargil town of Ladakh region also marked an improvement from the previous night's minus 9 degrees Celsius to record a low of minus 7.2 degrees Celsius. The nearby Leh town, also in the cold desert of Ladakh, recorded a low of minus 8.9 degrees Celsius, a degree up from the previous night, the official said.
He said Leh was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir.