Srinagar

Several areas in the Kashmir valley received fresh snowfall on Tuesday afternoon as a weak western disturbance moved across the region, officials said.

Parts of North Kashmir, including Gurez in Bandipora, Gulmarg in Baramulla and Macchil in Kupwara witnessed fresh snowfall this afternoon, they said.

No major precipitation is expected over the next 24 hours, though intermittent rain or snowfall may occur at some places. The administration has kept men and machinery on standby to meet any exigency from the weather change, the officials said.

Despite the fresh snow, the valley continues to experience an unusually warm winter.

According to the Meteorological Department, temperatures have remained three to four degrees above the seasonal average.

On Monday night, Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 1.0 degrees Celsius, which is 3.6 degrees above the normal for this time of year.

Gulmarg remained the coldest location in the region with the mercury settling at minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. Despite the sub-zero reading, this remained 4.3 degrees above the usual temperature.

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In south Kashmir, Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius, while Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, saw the mercury dip to 1.4 degrees Celsius. Both locations remained approximately four degrees above their respective seasonal averages.

The region is currently going through 'Chilla-e-Kalan', a 40-day period of extreme cold. During this phase, night temperatures typically drop between three and eight degrees below the freezing point. However, current readings show a departure from normal patterns.