Srinagar experienced its coldest December night in three decades on Friday as temperatures plunged to minus 8 degrees Celsius. This is also the third most frigid night in 133 years.
This marks the lowest December temperature in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir since 1990, when the mercury dropped to minus 8.5 degrees Celsius.
#WATCH | Srinagar, J&K | The surface of Dal Lake freezes as intensifying coldwave grips Kashmir Valley.
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024
The 40-day winter period 'Chillai Kalan' begins in the Valley from today. pic.twitter.com/mtTOR9ZqtC
Other areas also witnessed severe cold. Shopian in South Kashmir recorded minus 10.4 degrees Celsius. Anantnag was even colder at minus 10.5 degrees Celsius. Pulwama registered a minimum temperature of minus 10.3 degrees Celsius and Kulgam settled at minus 6.8 degrees Celsius.
Intense cold coincides with the beginning of Chillai-Kalan, the harshest 40-day winter period that starts today, December 21. It will last until January 31.
Weather experts attribute the intense cold wave in Kashmir to the La Niña effect, which leads to harsher winters and increased precipitation. During a La Niña event, the surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean cool, disrupting atmospheric circulation patterns and resulting in extreme weather conditions worldwide.
So far, there has been no snowfall in the plains of Kashmir, but the upper reaches, including Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Kishtwar have witnessed some snowfall.
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Power outages due to low hydel power generation have exacerbated the difficulties faced by the people in Kashmir. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has raised the issue of securing additional power supplies for Kashmir in winter with central leaders to meet the region's energy needs.
Doctors have also cautioned residents to stay warm, as the steep drop in temperatures increases the risk of heart attacks. In Kashmir, people are resorting to traditional means of heating, such as the kangri—an earthen pot filled with burning coal and artfully covered with wicker—and hammams, which involve burning small pieces of wood under stone floors in a room. The smoke is vented through chimneys that open onto the roof and extend down the walls from the base.
