Gulmarg skiing resort in north Kashmir and Pahalgam in south Kashmir and some other areas in the periphery of the Valley have witnessed snowfall last week but the weather has remained dry since then.
The clear skies have, however, resulted in drastic drop in night temperatures across the Valley with Gulmarg recording a low of minus 10.8 degrees Celsius last night.
Pahalgam resort also saw the mercury dipping to a low of minus 8.2 degrees Celsius while in rest of the Valley the minimum temperature stayed around three degrees below freezing point, an official of the MET department said.
Leh town was the coldest place in the state recording a minimum of minus 17.2 degrees Celsius followed by Kargil town at minus 13.8 degrees C, a drop of over 5.0 degrees compared to this day last year at both places.
The cold wave in the Valley began earlier this year than the normal period of 'ChillaiKalan' due to snowfall in higher reaches during the last week of November and early December.
Due to the cold weather, traditional gowns (pherans), made of woollen or tweed fabric, have become a common sight on the roads. Kangri, the earthen fire pot in a wicker basket, has also made a comeback into the lives of Kashmiri people.
However, the recent cap on number of subsidised LPG cylinders has rendered gas heaters almost obsolete. Even electric heaters are rarely used due to frequent load shedding. MORE