Cold snap continues in north India; 1 dies in avalanche in JK

Cold conditions persisted in north India with mercury plummeting slightly and fog enveloping several parts of the region, affecting normal life.
Delhiites experienced a cold day as the minimum temperature settled at 11 degree Celsius, slightly low from yesterday's 13.5 degrees. The maximum temperature was recorded at 18.2 degree Celsius, three notches below the normal.
In a cold related incident, a Swiss national, Arno Roy, was killed while five of his associates were rescued after an avalanche hit the Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg resort between Kongdoori and Afferwath when the group of skiers was enjoying the sport this afternoon, state police officials said.

The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, only road-link connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was thrown open for one-way traffic after remaining closed for two days due to snowfall.
Meanwhile, a thick blanket of fog over entire Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh affected air, rail and road traffic in the region due to poor visibility even as the minimum temperature in the region rose by up to four notches above normal at some places.
The minimum temperature settled at above normal in most parts of the region, the MeT office said here.
Weather remained mainly dry in Uttar Pradesh even as dense to moderate fog occurred at few places over the state. MeT office here said that night temperatures fell appreciably various divisions of the state.

Mercury plummeted in Rajasthan where sole hill station Mount Abu recorded the lowest temperature of 2 degree celsius followed by Sriganganagar at 7.3 degree Celsius.