Kashmir's Dal Lake freezes as cold wave grips the valley

India Jan 14, 2026

Kashmir is in deep freeze mode—parts of Dal Lake and other water bodies iced over this week as temperatures plunged during the region's harshest winter stretch, 'Chilla-i-Kalan.'
Srinagar hit a chilly -5.2°C, but Shopian was even colder at -7.5°C.

Valley-wide chill and what's next

It wasn't just Srinagar—Pahalgam dropped to -6°C, Gulmarg to -3.8°C, and Kupwara saw a frosty -6.2°C.
The cold snap has affected the region, but there's a bit of hope: forecasters say a western disturbance could bring some relief from January 16 onward.