Chillai Kalan In Kashmir: Record-Breaking Temperatures In 50 Years

The harshest winter phase known as Chillai Kalan in Kashmir, kicked off Saturday as Srinagar faced its coldest December night in decades. If weather reports are to go by, it was Srinagar coldest December night in the last 50 years with the temperatures dropping to minus 8.5 degrees Celsius.

Chillai Kalan Winter Period Brings Record-Breaking Cold

The bitter cold Chillai Kalan in Kashmir Valley breaks old records. Srinagar got much colder, hitting -8.5 degrees Celsius Friday night, down from -6.2 degrees Celsius the day before.

Weather experts say this is the coldest December night Srinagar has seen since 1974 when it was -10.3 degrees Celsius. It’s now the 3rd coldest December in over 130 years( though not as cold as December 1934 when temperatures fell to -12.8 degrees Celsius).

The freezing temperatures turned parts of the famous Dal Lake into ice and froze water pipes across Srinagar and nearby areas. Tourist spots also felt the chill. Pahalgam dropped to -8.6 degrees Celsius, while the Chillai Kalan Gulmarg(skiing destination) was recorded at -6.2 degrees Celsius.

Temperatures dipped across Kashmir’s weather stations, with coldest readings at -10.5 degrees Celsius. Different parts of the valley saw severe cold:

Qazigund dropped to -8.2 degrees Celsius.
While Kupwara recorded -7.2 degrees Celsius, its lowest December temperature in 25 years; its ninth lowest December temperature ever recorded.
Kokernag also felt the freeze at -5.8 degrees Celsius.