Srinagar, Dec 1 : As the night temperatures in Kashmir fell below zero, the Meteorological (MeT)Department has said the valley was in for a harsher, wetter winter this season.

Night temperature throughout the valley dropped below the freezing point on Sunday as the maximum temperature on Saturday also recorded a downward trend because of cloud cover and fog.

Typical of Kashmir winter, the difference between the minimum and maximum temperatures started narrowing down as Kashmiris brace up for a harsh bitter winter.

Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the local MeT department, said due to the winter this year is going to be harsher with more frequent snowfall.

'Due to the La Nina effect in the Pacific Ocean this winter, Kashmir is likely to have a longer, harsher and wetter winter this season,' Mukhtar Ahmad to IANS.

La Nina meaning 'little girl' in Spanish is a climate phenomenon that results in ocean-atmosphere interaction that impacts the temperature of water in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. This affects global weather.

The minimum temperature was minus 1.3 degrees Celsius in Srinagar city, minus 2.6 degrees in Gulmarg and 0.3 degrees in Pahalgam on Sunday.

Jammu city had 9.5 degrees Celsius, Katra 9.8, Batote 4.2, Banihal 1.4 and Bhaderwah 1.6 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 will end on January 30. The night temperature falls much below the freezing point and the maximum temperature hovers around 7 to 8 degrees Celsius, which results in intense cold during the Chillai Kalan. During this period, fresh vegetables are hard to come by in the Valley.

It is for this reason that the locals store dried vegetables, including tomatoes, brinjals, pumpkins, etc., during the autumn to be used in the lean winter months. Drying and storing dried vegetables is part of the local tradition. Even fish are dried and used during the winter months in Kashmir.

/IANS