Srinagar, Dec 4 (IANS): Cold wave tightened its grip on Kashmir Valley as the minimum temperature dropped to minus 2 degrees Celsius in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city on Wednesday.

Director of the local Meteorological (MeT) Department, Mukhtar Ahmad told IANS, “Minimum temperature dropped to minus 2 degrees Celsius in Srinagar city today increasing the cold wave. Dry weather is expected in J&K till the evening of December 8.”

Gulmarg recorded minus 3.5 while Pahalgam recorded minus 4.8 as the minimum temperature.

Jammu city had 8.4, Katra 10, Batote 6.5, Banihal 3.2 and Bhaderwah 1.4 as the minimum temperature.

The 40-day-long period of harsh winter cold known locally as the ‘Chillai Kalan’ starts each year on December 21 and ends on January 30.

During this period, the minimum temperature falls several notches below the freezing point while the day temperature also hovers around 6 to 8 degrees Celsius.

As the sun mostly remains hidden under the clouds, even days are very cold in the mornings and evenings.

Most water bodies, including rivers, streams, lakes, wells and ponds freeze at the surface making boating/rowing extremely difficult in lakes and rivers.

People have already started covering themselves with layers of warm clothes, the most popular being the garment called the ‘Pheran’.

It is customary for Kashmiris to keep an earthen firepot woven in willow wicker filled with embers under the Pheran to keep the body warm.

Locals also depend heavily on dried vegetables, including brinjals, pumpkins and tomatoes, as fresh vegetables are hard to come by during the Chillai Kalan. Even dried and smoked fish is used by Kashmiris to provide much-needed calories during the winter months.