Water bodies across Kashmir freeze, minimum temperature stays below freezing point

Kashmir valley under cold wave conditions with freezing temperatures & ice on Dal Lake; snowfall in upper reaches & dry spell in plains.

Cold wave conditions prevailed in Kashmir valley with the minimum temperature remaining below the freezing point, the weather office said on January 2.

A thin layer of ice has formed over the surface of the Dal Lake as the minimum temperature in Srinagar on January 1 night was minus 4.8°C, officials said.

The residents of the lake, who live in houseboats, had a tough time breaking the ice layer while roving their boats towards the banks.

Water supply pipes have frozen in many areas of Kashmir due to extreme cold wave conditions.

Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.2°C, down from the previous night's minus 5.7°C , they said.

Gulmarg skiing resort in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4°C, the officials said.

Qazigund recorded a low of minus 4.4°C while Kokernag town saw the minimum settled at minus 2.7°C and Kupwara recorded a minimum of minus 4.6°C.