Srinagar: Cold wave conditions prevailed in Kashmir valley with the minimum temperature remaining below the freezing point, the weather office said on Tuesday.
A thin layer of ice has formed over the surface of the Dal Lake as the minimum temperature in Srinagar on Monday night was minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, officials said.
The residents of the lake, who live in houseboats, had a tough time breaking the ice layer while roving their boats towards the banks.
Water supply pipes have frozen in many areas of Kashmir due to extreme cold wave conditions.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night's minus 5.7 degrees Celsius, they said.
Gulmarg skiing resort in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius while Kokernag town saw the minimum settled at minus 2.7 degrees Celsius and Kupwara recorded a minimum of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius.
Kashmir has been going through a prolonged dry spell with no precipitation forecast over the next six days, the officials said, adding December month was 79 per cent deficit on rainfall.