SRINAGAR: While rains lashed plains and higher reaches including Gulmarg received fresh snowfall, the weatherman on Thursday forecast another wet spell in Jammu and Kashmir from March 22-24. A meteorological department official said that generally dry weather was expected till March 20. In last 24 hours till 08:30 a.m. this morning, the MeT official said that plains received rainfall with Srinagar receiving 9.1mm during the time, Qazigund 24.6mm, Pahalgam 15.6mm (3 cms of snow), Kupwara 14.9mm, Kokernag 18.1mm, Jammu 1.6mm, Banihal 44.8mm, Batote 43.6mm, Katra 4.6mm and Kathua 14.6mm. He said Gulmarg received 22 cms of fresh snowfall during the time. Regarding temperature, he said, most places witnessed a drop with Srinagar recording a minimum of 4.4°C against 5.4°C on the previous night. It was above normal by 0.7°C for the summer capital of JK for this time of the year, the MeT official said. Qazigund recorded a minimum of 1.8°C against 3.4°C on the previous night and it was 0.5°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said. Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 1.3°C against minus 0.5°C on the previous night and it was 0.1°C below normal for the famous resort in south Kashmir. Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of 1.3°C against 4.2°C on the previous night and it was 1.2°C below normal, the official said. Kupwara town recorded a low of 1.2°C against 4.5°C on the previous night and it was 1.1°C below normal there, the official said. Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 4.8°C against minus 1.2°C on the previous night and it was below normal by 1.5°C for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Jammu, he said, recorded a minimum of 13.5°C and it was below normal by 0.5°C for the winter capital of J&K. Banihal recorded a low of 3.0°C, Batote 2.2°C and Bhaderwah 3.6°C, he said.
