Saturday brought bizarre weather to Srinagar, where temperatures peaked at a historic 21°C for February, topping the 2016 mark of 20.6°C by a clear margin. This extreme—10 degrees over average—rippled through Kashmir and Jammu alike.
Gulmarg reached 11.5°C, Pahalgam 17.2°C, while Jammu hit 25.2°C (2.9°C high), Katra 25°C, Batote 19.9°C, Banihal 19.8°C, and Bhadarwah 21.3°C, all defying seasonal expectations.
The backdrop is a parched winter with subpar rain and snow in Jammu and Kashmir. Critically, ‘Chillai Kalan’—the 40-day deep freeze—lacked the heavy snows that normally sustain rivers, glaciers, and springs into summer.
This deficiency, with snow falling mostly late, has ignited fears of acute water stress. Orchard owners, farmers, and experts predict irrigation woes and drinking water rationing as summer intensifies.
The ongoing warmth slashes odds of compensatory snowfalls. March stands as the final hope for replenishing stores, prompting calls for preparedness against what could be one of the valley’s most challenging dry spells.