Gulmarg's Winter Boom: Hotels Booked Solid as New Year Crowds Flock to Kashmir

Minimum temperature dropped notches below the freezing point in the Valley on Saturday as the Pahalgam hill station recorded minus 4.8 as the night's lowest temperature.

After many months, hotels in Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam are reporting full occupancy these days.

Altaf Ahmad, general manager of a hotel in Gulmarg, told IANS, "We are completely sold out this time."

The Meteorological Department has forecast partly or generally cloudy weather from December 27 to December 29, and generally cloudy weather with light rain/snow at isolated places on December 30.

"On December 31 and January 1, generally cloudy weather with light rain/snow at many places with possibility of moderate snowfall at a few places in the north and central parts of the Valley," the MET forecast said.

Srinagar city recorded minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, Gulmarg minus 4.2 degrees Celsius and Pahalgam minus 4.8 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature.

Jammu city witnessed 7.1 degrees Celsius, Katra town 7.6 degrees Celsius, Batote 4.6 degrees Celsius, Banihal 0.8 degrees Celsius and Bhaderwah 0.2 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature.

The 40-day-long period of harsh winter cold, known locally as the 'Chillai Kalan' started on December 21 and will end on January 30.

The minimum temperature usually drops to minus 5-7 degrees while the day temperature rarely rises above 8 degrees Celsius in the Chillai Kalan.

This year, however, the minimum temperature so far in Chillai has not fallen below minus 3 degrees Celsius, while the day temperature hovers around 10 degrees in Srinagar city.

This winter, a record number of migratory birds have arrived in the Valley from Siberia, China, the Philippines and Eastern Europe.

These birds come to Kashmir during the winter months to ward off the extreme cold of their summer homes.

- IANS