Srinagar, Dec 17 (IANS): Minimum temperature dropped to bone-chilling minus 5.3 in Srinagar city on Tuesday as an intense cold wave swept across Jammu and Kashmir with wind blowing into the mainland from snowclad mountains.

MET department officials said that the minimum temperature dropped to minus 5.3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, a shade less than minus 5.4 recorded on December 10, which was the coldest this season so far.

“Cold dry weather is likely to continue till the evening of December 21 after that a feeble Western Disturbance is likely to result in snowfall on the higher reaches”, Mukhtar Ahmad, director of the local MET department said.

Western Disturbance is the name given to an extratropical storm in the Mediterranean Sea that causes precipitation in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Rabi crop is mostly dependent on the Western Disturbance for timely rainfall needed for the crop.

Gulmarg recorded minus 4 and Pahalgam minus 6.8 as the minimum temperature on Tuesday. Jammu city had 4.9, Katra 6.7, Batote 1.5, Banihal minus 3.4 and Bhaderwah minus 0.8 Celsius as the minimum temperature.

The 40-day-long period of harsh winter known locally as the ‘Chillai Kalan’ starts on December 21 and will end on January 30. During this period, most water bodies freeze partially sending chilly wind into the mainland which adds to the chill factor in the Valley.

Kashmiris during ‘Chillai Kalan’ without exception wear the loose tweed over garment called the ‘Pheran’ under which an earthen firepot woven in a willow wicker basket called the ‘Kangri’ filled with ember is kept to ward off the cold.

Two days ago, the MET department had said that cold wave conditions are expected to intensify further in Jammu and Kashmir issuing an advisory forecasting light snow in the higher reaches on December 22.