Srinagar, Dec 19 (IANS): At minus 6 degrees Celsius on Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Srinagar city recorded the lowest minimum temperature of the season so far as severe cold swept across the Valley.

MET Department officials said that the minimum temperature dropped to minus 6 degrees Celsius on Thursday in Srinagar city, which is the lowest recorded this season so far.

“Srinagar recorded minus 6, Gulmarg minus 5 and Pahalgam minus 6.8 as the minimum temperature today. “Jammu city had 5.1, Katra 6.6, Batote 2.5, Banihal minus 1.9 and Bhaderwah minus 0.6 as the minimum temperature.

“Due to a clear night sky, the temperatures are likely to drop till the evening of December 21 when a feeble Western Disturbance is expected to result in light snowfall in the higher reaches of J&K”, MET officials said.

Water taps in Srinagar city and in all other towns froze in the morning as people were seen lighting small fires around the water pipes to defreeze them.

Little pedestrian and vehicular movement was witnessed in Srinagar in the morning as frost kept people indoors.

Most shops and business establishments usually open late during the winter months. And, these are closed earlier in the evenings as the chill coming from the mountains lashes the mainland in the mornings and evenings.

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

Locals, without exception, wear the loose tweed overgarment called the ‘Pheran’ during the winter months which is made of different designs and stitching material depending on the affluence of the wearer.

Pheran has become a fashionable attire worn across the country now.

In Kashmir, an earthen firepot woven in a basket of willow wicker called the ‘Kangri’ is filled with embers and kept under the Pheran for instant warmth.