Zojila Freezes At -22°C, Sonamarg At -8.4°C As Bitter Cold Intensifies Across J&K, Ladakh

Cold and dry weather prevails in Kashmir valley and Ladakh UT with night temperatures dipping below freezing point.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir has been experiencing a severe cold wave over the past week, with minimum temperatures dropping sharply, even in low-lying areas, officials said on Wednesday.

Kashmir Valley
According to the Meteorological Department's Srinagar centre, Zojila froze at -22°C while neighbouring Sonamarg recorded -8.4°C.

In South Kashmir, Shopian shivered at -6.8°C while Pahalgam recorded -1.8°C. While Pulwama dipped to -5.6°C, Anantnag -5.1°C, and Kulgam was at -4.2°C. Likewise, Ganderbal and Budgam in central Kashmir recorded -1.2°C and -3.6°C, respectively.

Srinagar, the Summer Capital of the union territory, recorded -3.0°C. North Kashmir continued to freeze with Kupwara witnessing a low of -4.5°C, Gulmarg logged -6.0°C, Bandipora recorded -1.2°C.

Jammu Region
The mercury in the Jammu division hovered around 5.0°C. Ramban recorded the highest minimum temperature at 7.8°C, followed by Katra at 5.9°C and Jammu district at 5.0°C. However, Bhaderwah recorded -1.2°C, Batote 1.5°C, Samba 0.1°C, Udhampur 0.8°C, Banihal -2.1°C, and Paddar, the coldest in the division, registered -5.9°C.

Ladakh UT
Cold desert Ladakh living up to its name continued to record sub-zero temperatures, with Nyoma at -11.4°C, Upshi at -9.4°C, Padum at -7.9°C, Kargil at -5.9°C, and Leh at -10.4°C.

Traffic on highways
Meanwhile, traffic along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) is running smoothly in both directions. The Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police has advised commuters to follow lane discipline to avoid congestion. Authorities have also urged travelers to avoid unnecessary halts between Ramban and Banihal, citing risks of landslides and shooting stones.

“Mughal Road and Bhaderwah-Chamba Roads are open, but the Sinthan and Sonamarg-Kargil roads (SSG) are closed due to fresh snowfall. Traffic will be allowed after getting a green signal from BEACON authorities,” they said.