Srinagar, Dec 27 (IANS): The intense cold wave tightened its grip on Jammu and Kashmir Saturday as the cities of Srinagar and Jammu recorded their lowest temperatures of the season.

"The minimum temperature dropped to the season's lowest in Srinagar today at minus 5.6 degrees Celsius," an official of the Met department told IANS here.

"The minimum temperature recorded in Jammu city today was 2.4 degrees which is also the lowest recorded this season so far."

"Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Leh and Kargil recorded minus 4.7, 7.4, 16.4 and 14.5 degrees Celsius respectively as the minimum temperature."

The official said the cold wave conditions are likely to intensify across Jammu and Kashmir in the next 48 hours as the weather is expected to remain dry during this period.

It has not snowed in the plains of the Valley so far this season, yet highly slippery road conditions at many places in and outside Srinagar resulted in major problems for motorists in the morning.

Almost all the water bodies in the Valley including the Dal Lake in Srinagar are partially frozen these days.

Local boatmen are finding it difficult to travel across the frozen waters of the lakes in the Valley.