Srinagar, Dec 13 (UNI) Night temperature significantly plummeting a day after Kashmir experienced fresh snowfall with the tourist destinations of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg emerging as the coldest places at -9.6°C, -9.4°C, and -12.5°C, respectively, on Friday, officials said.

The famous ski resort of Gulmarg recorded below 4.6°C on Friday against the normal of minus 5.0°C during this period of the season for the Valley of Meadows in North Kashmir's Baramulla district, the Meteorological Centre Srinagar said.

Similarly, the tourist spot of Pahalgam also witnessed a steep drop in the minimum temperature recorded at minus 9.0°C against the minus 4.6°C recorded the previous night. This was 5.3°C below normal for the Valley of Shepherds in South Kashmir on Friday.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, slipped to minus 2.0°C against the minus 0.5°C on Thursday. This was 0.8°C below normal for the place during this period of the season.

The minimum temperature at Qazigund, the gateway town on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, also dropped and was recorded at minus 1.2°C against the 0.2°C a day ago, and this was normal for the place during this period of the season.

The popular picnic spot of Kokernag had a low of minus 1.8°C against minus 1.0°C on Thursday, and this was 0.4°C below the average for the day.

The mercury at Kupwara also witnessed a substantial drop and was recorded at minus 2.5°C against the 0.5°C recorded a day ago, and this was 0.5°C below normal for the frontier Kashmir district during the period, the MeT office said.

The weather is likely to remain dry till December 20, the MeT office said.

It said the cold, dry weather will generally prevail over many stations during the next few days.

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