SRINAGAR: Winter has arrived early in Kashmir this year, with bone-chilling temperatures gripping the Valley weeks ahead of schedule. A prevailing dry spell combined with the La Niña effect has pushed night-time temperatures in Srinagar down to –3.1°C, and forecasters warn of even colder nights ahead.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, recorded –3.1°C on Sunday night, a sharp deviation from the seasonal norm of around 0.1°C. This marks the second consecutive night that temperatures in the city have dipped below –3°C.
The cold was even more severe in other parts of the Valley. Shopian in South Kashmir recorded –5.4°C, while temperatures fell to –4.4°C in Pahalgam, –3.8°C in Sonamarg, and –1.2°C in the ski resort of Gulmarg.
With clear skies and persistent dry weather, the cold wave has intensified across the region.
Residents say that though November is usually cold, temperatures rarely fall below freezing. “This year the winter has arrived early, and so has the bone-chilling cold,” said Zahoor Ahmad, a Srinagar local. “Normally in November, the temperature would stay above freezing point at night, but this time we are witnessing intense cold, with temperatures regularly dropping well below zero.”
He added that such extreme cold is typically associated with Chillai Kalan, the Valley’s harsh 40-day winter period which begins on 21 December. “This year, we are experiencing that level of cold much earlier.”
According to Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the Meteorological Department in Kashmir, the severe cold is largely due to the persistent dry spell and the influence of La Niña. He noted that the current temperatures are not unprecedented, recalling that Srinagar also recorded –3°C in November 2020.
Dr Ahmad predicted a further drop of one to two degrees in the coming week. “Temperatures may touch –4°C and even –5°C in some places as cold and dry weather is likely to persist in the absence of any wet spell.”
With no precipitation expected, the MeT Department has also forecast shallow to moderate fog across Kashmir in the coming days, adding to the challenges posed by the unusually early onset of winter.
In response to the freezing temperatures, the government has announced early winter vacations for kindergarten classes, while the winter break for Classes 1 to 8 will begin in the first week of December.
Amid the harsh conditions, the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, has issued a public health advisory urging residents to wear layered clothing to retain body heat, limit outdoor exposure, cover their nose and mouth when stepping outside, stay hydrated, engage in indoor physical activity to support heart and lung health, and ensure vaccination against flu and pneumonia.