The prolonged dry spell in Kashmir is likely to end soon, as rain and snowfall are forecast ahead of Chille Kalan. The Meteorological Department (MeT) has predicted weather changes beginning on December 18. After almost two weeks of dry conditions, the region awaits relief.
An official from the MeT stated that the weather will turn partly to generally cloudy between December 18 and 19, with a chance of very light snowfall at higher reaches of North and Central Kashmir.
“A more active western disturbance is likely to affect the area from the late night of December 20 to December 21, bringing light to moderate snowfall across higher elevation areas of the Kashmir division,” the official said. This disturbance is also expected to produce light to moderate rain in the plains of Jammu and Kashmir.
Forecasts reveal that December 22 will see generally cloudy weather, with the possibility of light rain or snowfall scattered across various locations. From December 23 to 29, the weather is likely to remain partly to generally cloudy. Conditions will continue through December 30 and 31, with isolated higher regions receiving light snowfall.
The MeT Department issued a snow advisory highlighting that regions in Kupwara, Bandipora, and Ganderbal districts may face moderate to heavy snowfall, particularly on December 21.
The advisory urged travellers and transporters to plan their journeys cautiously and adhere to traffic and administrative guidelines, ensuring their safety during this weather transition.
Meanwhile, temperatures across Jammu and Kashmir have remained above normal. Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 10.6°C, which was about 1.2°C above average, with a minimum of 0.2°C. In Gulmarg, the maximum temperature reached 8.8°C, nearly 4°C above normal, while the minimum settled at 1.6°C.
Further north, Kupwara reported a maximum temperature of 10.8°C and a minimum of -1.0°C. Pahalgam recorded 11.2°C and 0.4°C, whereas Qazigund saw temperatures of 13.0°C during the day and 0.8°C at night.
In the Jammu region, Jammu city experienced a maximum temperature of 22.3°C and a minimum of 11.0°C. Despite the current dry weather, the MeT Department indicated that no rainfall occurred in the past 24 hours.
