Jammu may witness longer winter this year

Jammu may witness longer winter this year 
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 20
The winter capital and other parts of the Jammu region may witness a long winter this year, as the temperature has already started dipping rapidly. In the past 10 days, the temperature has been a few notches below the normal.
Clear weather and ample rains during the monsoon have caused this effect.
“Normally in October, we do not witness such a decline in temperature. The nights are much cooler than the normal temperature during this time of the year. It seems the winter season will last longer,” said an expert at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST).
“Most of the districts have also recorded a dip in the day time temperature,” he added.
“Till Tuesday, the minimum temperature in Jammu was between 13 and 15 degree Celsius, which is rare for this time of the year. The maximum temperature has also remained between 30 and 32 degree Celsius,” he said, adding that though the present weather situation might lead to a long winter, it was beneficial to the farmers.
Terming it the optimum time to sow winter crops, he said: “The farmers in ‘kandi’ areas should not waste this most favourable time to sow the wheat crop, as the rains during December-end and January will give more benefit to
their crop.”
He predicted that the dip in mercury levels was likely to continue, as there were bleak chances of a cloudy sky in the coming days. “During this season, when the sky is cloudy and there are no rains, the temperature goes up. But, so far there are no chances of a cloudy sky,” he added.
In charge of the India Meteorological Department in the state Sonam Lotus also admitted: “The temperature is a few notches below normal. The snowfall on the upper reaches of Kargil and Drass also occurred in advance this year. There may be a longer spell of winter this year. But, at this stage it is very tough to predict about the snowfall or winter.”