Parts of the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar and several water bodies in Kashmir froze on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) as sub-zero minimum temperatures across the Valley dropped further. The Kashmir Valley is in the midst of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ – a 40-day period of extreme cold, when the chances of snowfall are the highest. Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.2°C on Tuesday (January 13) night, down from the minus 4.9°C recorded the previous night, weather department officials said. Parts of several water bodies, including the interiors of the Dal Lake, froze due to severe cold. The minimum temperature in Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, settled at minus 5.3°C.

Source: The Hindu January 14, 2026 08:19 UTC