New Year revellers head to ‘white’ Valley

Srinagar, December 25

Undeterred by the intense cold wave sweeping through the Valley, scores of adventure sport lovers and new year enthusiasts have been rushing to Kashmir as minimum temperatures across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh remained below the freezing point on Friday.

The New Year enthusiasts are thronging the famous ski resort of Gulmarg as the minimum temperature dipped to minus 5.6 degrees Celsius.

Hotels, huts and other accommodations are all sold out at the ski resort as the authorities are engaged in ensuring comfort for the arriving tourists. The weather office has not forecast any significant snowfall till the end of December, but the ski resort is already covered with a thick blanket of snow. In Pahalgam, tourist arrivals have enlivened the otherwise sleepy meadow. Minimum temperature is Pahalgam was minus 5.9 degrees Celsius on the day, while Srinagar recorded a minus 4.3 degrees Celsius.

Leh town of Ladakh was at minus 12.6 degrees Celsius, Kargil at minus 16.4 degrees Celsius and Drass at minus 25.3 degrees Celsius as the night's lowest temperatures.

The 40-day long harsh winter period of 'Chillai Kalan' is passing through the Valley and Ladakh. Jammu city recorded 6.3 degrees Celsius, Katra 6.2 degrees Celsius, Batote 1.7 degrees Celsius, Bannihal minus 0.2 degrees Celsius and Bhaderwah minus 0.8 degrees Celsius as the day's minimum temperatures. — IANS