SRINAGAR: Fresh snowfall was witnessed in the higher reaches of Kashmir Monday and rains lashed the plains even as there was some respite from cold wave for valley residents. Moderate rains lashed the plains of Kashmir from early hours of Monday while there were reports of snowfall in higher reaches of the valley, officials said here.The MeT Office has forecast widespread rain and snow over the state with heavy falls at isolated places till Tuesday.The minimum temperature in Srinagar Sunday night settled at minus 0.3 degree Celsius, same as previous night, a MET official said.He said Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, in south Kashmir recorded a low of 0.6 degree Celsius, while the nearby Kokernag town registered a low of minus 0.3 degrees Celsius Tuesday night.The mercury in Kupwara town in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 0.6 degree Celsius.Gulmarg ski-resort in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4 degrees Celsius Sunday night, while Pahalgam tourist resort, in south Kashmir, recorded a low of 0.2 degrees Celsius, the official said.He said Leh, in the frontier Ladakh region, recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius, while the mercury in Kargil registered a low of minus 14.0 degrees Celsius.Kargil was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir, colder than even Drass town which recorded a low of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius.Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai Kalan', the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are maximum and the temperature drops considerably.'Chillai Kalan' ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai Bachha' (baby cold).

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