Rain, snow likely in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu/Srinagar, Jan 26  Rain and snow are likely to occur in Jammu and Kashmir during the next three days, the Met office said on Tuesday.

"This will break the over month-long dry spell," Sonam Lotus, director of the Met department, told IANS.

Lotus said due to nightlong cloud cover, the minimum temperature in Srinagar city rose above the freezing point on Tuesday after about a month on Tuesday.

"The minimum temperature was 0.1 degrees Celsius in Srinagar and the maximum during the day is likely to remain around 10 degrees," she said.

In Pahalgam, the minimum temperature was minus 1.9 degrees on Tuesday and it was minus 2.6 degrees in Gulmarg.

Leh town recorded minus 9.5 degrees as the minimum temperature. The minimum was 4.9 degrees in Jammu city and the likely maximum will remain around 14 degrees.

There has been no snowfall in the Kashmir Valley during the 40-day period of extreme winter known as 'Chillai Kalan' which ends on January 31.

This has been worrying Kashmiris because all the perennial water reservoirs of the valley situated in the higher reaches are replenished by snowfall that occurs in Chillai Kalan.

The valley's rivers, streams, lakes and springs are sustained during the summer months by the meltdown from the mountain reservoirs.