Srinagar, 21 December (H.S.): Snowfall in the upper reaches and rains in the plains pushed up the minimum temperature in Kashmir on Sunday, with Srinagar recording its warmest night this winter, officials said here.

At 4 degrees Celsius, the minimum temperature in Srinagar on Sunday was six notches above normal, even as the higher reaches of Kashmir witnessed snowfall and the plains rain as ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the 40-day harshest winter period, brought much-needed respite for the people of the Valley after a prolonged dry spell, an official of the local meteorological department said.

The rise in minimum temperature was due to overcast skies in the region, he said.

Gulmarg in north Kashmir was the only weather station to record a sub-zero temperature as the mercury settled at minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, 5 degrees above normal for this time of the year.

The rest of the weather stations, including Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, recorded minimum temperatures between 2.5 degrees Celsius and 3.8 degrees Celsius.

The weather office has forecast moderate to heavy snowfall in the higher reaches and light to moderate precipitation in the plains.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar