&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Bone-chilling cold tightens grip on J&K and Ladakh; Drass freezes at –24.7°C, Srinagar records season's lowest at minus 5.1")
A severe cold wave has gripped Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, with several locations across both Union Territories recording the lowest temperatures of the season on Thursday (Jan 8). As forecast by the Meteorological Department, temperatures have witnessed a sharp and sudden drop across major districts, significantly intensifying the winter chill.
Srinagar continued to reel under intense cold, with the mercury settling at minus 5.1 degrees Celsius. Srinagar Airport recorded an even lower temperature of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, marking the lowest of the season. The world-famous ski resort of Gulmarg recorded a minimum temperature of minus 9.2 degrees Celsius. South Kashmir’s tourist resort of Pahalgam followed closely, registering a low of minus 8.6 degrees Celsius. Elsewhere in South Kashmir, Shopian recorded a minimum temperature of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius, while Pulwama shivered at minus 6.8 degrees. In Central Kashmir, the resort town of Sonamarg registered a temperature of minus 9.8 degrees Celsius, the lowest recorded in the Kashmir Division today.
Ladakh continued to remain the coldest region in the country, with temperatures plunging further across the high-altitude areas. Leh town recorded a minimum temperature of minus 14.6 degrees Celsius, while Kargil shivered at minus 13.4 degrees. Drass remained the coldest inhabited place in the region, with the mercury dipping to a bone-chilling minus 24.7 degrees Celsius, followed by Nyoma, which recorded a minimum temperature of minus 20.1 degrees Celsius.
The Kashmir Valley is currently experiencing Chillai Kalan, the harshest and coldest phase of winter. The 40-day period began on December 21.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
MeT forecast
The Meteorological Department (MeT) has forecast partly to generally cloudy conditions, with the possibility of light snowfall over isolated higher reaches of North, Central, and South Kashmir. The department has also predicted a significant fall in minimum temperatures until January 10, after which temperatures are likely to rise by 1–2°C. Meanwhile, moderate fog is expected to prevail over the plains of the Jammu division, with dense fog at isolated places likely to continue over the next two days.
