Leh freezes at – 16

Srinagar : The scenic Kashmir Valley may have been devoid of snowfall this Christmas, but the cold spell continued on Sunday as the minimum temperature fell to the season’s lowest in Srinagar at minus 4.8 degrees Celsius.

At minus 16.2 degrees, Leh town in Ladakh region was the coldest in the state.

“The north Kashmir ski resort of Gulmarg recorded a minimum of minus 9.8 degrees while the south Kashmir Pahalgam hill station recorded minus 8.8,” Sonam Lotus, director of the local meteorological office, told IANS.

Kargil town recorded minus 12 degrees.

Lotus said the night temperatures could fall further across the Kashmir Valley and the Ladakh region during the next few days.

Despite the absence of snowfall in Srinagar city, most roads were frozen with a layer of frost covering them in the morning.

“The roads are extremely slippery and one has to drive very cautiously. My motorcycle skidded and I broke my collar bone yesterday (Saturday),” said Javed Shah, a local newspaper editor.