Min temps drop in plains; fresh snowfall likely in HP, Kashmir

Temperatures plummeted in northern plains today even as Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh continued to reel under frigid conditions.
The weatherman said similar conditions will persist in the region tomorrow, while Kashmir and Himachal are likely to witness a fresh bout of snow or rains due to a western disturbance.
The national capital had a low of 8.6 degrees Celsius on a windy day today. The maximum temperature settled at 22 degrees Celsius. The MeT office has predicted foggy weather tomorrow morning and clear skies thereafter.
The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the only all weather road link connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country, was reopened for traffic, four days after landslides due to rains and snow had forced its closure.

Meanwhile, cold and dry conditions prevailed in the Valley but the MeT office has forecast rains or snow in the state.
The night temperature in the Valley, except in the high altitude areas, settled above the freezing point with Srinagar registering a low of 0.9 degree Celsius.

Kargil town was the coldest recorded place in the state at minus 16.1 degrees Celsius. Qazigund recorded a low of 0.8 degree Celsius and Kokernag town 0.3 degree Celsius.
Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Kupwara witnessed sub-zero night temperature at minus 9.6, minus 1.2 and minus 2.5 degrees Celsius. Leh town in Ladakh region registered a low of minus 15.3 degrees Celsius, the lowest in February in the past three years.

The intense cold continued unabated in Himachal and a fresh bout of rains or snow in higher and mid hills is likely due to a Western Disturbance.
Barring Kalpa, which recorded 2 cm of snow, and Mandi and Bilaspur which gauged 4 mm and 3 mm of rains, there was no report of precipitation from any part of the state.
The high altitude tribal areas recorded the minimum temperature between minus 12 and minus 18 degree Celsius below the freezing point.
Keylong and Kalpa in tribal Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts had a minimum of minus 8.1 and minus 3.6, followed by Manali 1.2 degrees degrees.

Cold conditions revived in parts of Rajasthan with Mount
Abu recording the lowest temperature at 2 degrees Celsius.
While the minimum temperature dropped by 1 to 3 degrees Celsius in Jaipur, Ajmer and Kota, the mercury rose a little in Udaipur, Bikaner and Jodhpur.
Phalodi had a low of 5.5 followed by Sriganganagar 5.8, Bhilwara 6.4, Chhittorgarh and Dabok 6.5 and Churu 6.8 degrees Celsius. Similar weather conditions are likely to prevail tomorrow.
The minimum temperature, which had been hovering two to six notches above normal limits across Punjab and Haryana, dropped two to four notches below normal at most places in the two states.

Early morning fog reduced visibility in Chandigarh but there was a bright sun shine later in the day. Amritsar and Karnal recorded identical minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius, the official said.
Pathankot too had a cold night at 7.4 degrees Celsius while Adampur registered a low of 5.8 degrees Celsius. Bathinda also braved the chill at 5.1 degrees Celsius while Faridkot's minimum settled at 5.4 degrees Celsius.
Ambala in Haryana recorded a low of 8.7 degrees Celsius while Hisar had a cold night at 6.2 degrees Celsius.