Chilai-kalan

The 40-day harshest winter period in Kashmir, known in the local parlance as 'Chillai-Kalan', began today with the upper reaches of the valley receiving snowfall, Meteorological Department officials said.

The night temperature across Kashmir division rose by a few notches due to overcast conditions, providing some relief to the people of the valley and frontier Ladakh region from the bone chilling cold.

The mercury in Kargil town of Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir plunged to the season's lowest so far as it recorded a minimum of minus 15.2 degrees Celsius, even as there was some improvement in the weather at some other places in the state.

Mercury stayed above the freezing point across Kashmir, barring Gulmarg and Pahalgam towns, while the weather is expected to remain mainly dry for the next few days.

The 40-day harshest winter period in Kashmir, known in the local parlance as 'Chillai-Kalan', began today with the upper reaches of the valley receiving snowfall, Meteorological Department officials said.

The night temperature across Kashmir division rose by a few notches due to overcast conditions, providing some relief to the people of the valley and frontier Ladakh region from the bone chilling cold.

The mercury in Kargil town of Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir plunged to the season's lowest so far as it recorded a minimum of minus 15.2 degrees Celsius, even as there was some improvement in the weather at some other places in the state.

Mercury stayed above the freezing point across Kashmir, barring Gulmarg and Pahalgam towns, while the weather is expected to remain mainly dry for the next few days.