Coldwave conditions intensified across Kashmir on Tuesday, with the Met office predicting fresh spells of light to moderate snowfall in the valley during the week, while large swathes of Uttar Pradesh witnessed maximum temperatures dipping by more than 5 degrees Celsius.
Parts of Rajasthan experienced intense chill as neighbouring Haryana, and Punjab continued to witness biting cold conditions.
Gulmarg, a tourist resort town in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 11.5 degrees Celsius, the Met office said.
Pahalgam, the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir, registered a minimum temperature of minus 8.4 degrees Celsius.
In Srinagar, the mercury dipped to minus 3.5 degrees Celsius. Qazigund -- the gateway town to Kashmir -- logged a minimum temperature of minus 7.5 degrees. In south Kashmir, Kokernag recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius.
The Met office has forecast light snowfall on New Year's Day and another spell of moderate snowfall later in the week.
"A feeble western disturbance is likely to hit Kashmir on January 1-2. There is a possibility of light snow at scattered places. A moderate to strong western disturbance is likely to affect from January 3-6. There is a chance of snow at most places with peak activity on January 4-6," the Met said and added that there was possibility of heavy snow at a few places in the higher reaches during the second spell.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' -- the harshest period of winter -- which began on December 21.
An overcast sky marked the last day of the year in Delhi, with the national capital's maximum temperature settling 2.7 notches below normal at 17.7 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature had settled 2.6 notches above normal at 9.6 degrees Celsius, the Met office said.
In Uttar Pradesh, the maximum temperature dipped by more than 5 degrees Celsius in at least 50 districts, the Met office in Lucknow said.
The intense cold conditions are expected to continue till Wednesday.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 13 degrees Celsius.
With overcast skies and the day temperature hovering near the 15 degrees Celsius mark, the temperature difference between day and night came down significantly.
The difference between day and night temperatures typically hovers between 5 and 7 degrees Celsius.
Explaining the unusual weather pattern, Atul Kumar Singh -- a senior scientist at the Met office in Lucknow -- said, "Due to stability in the lower troposphere, radiational heating during the day and radiational cooling of the night have been blocked. This has led to a reduced temperature difference between day and night."
The ongoing cold conditions were exacerbated by cold northwestern winds sweeping in from the mountainous regions, leading to a marked drop in day temperatures.
Cold conditions prevailed in parts of Rajasthan and some places in the state's western region experienced a cold to very cold day, a Met official said.
Sriganganagar and Lukaransar in Bikaner were the coldest places in the state with the minimum temperature being recorded at 4.6 degrees Celsius in each.
Narnaul was the coldest place in Haryana, with the minimum temperature settling two notches below normal at 4.5 degrees Celsius.
Hisar also experienced a cold night. Bhiwani and Sirsa, too, reeled from intense cold.
In Punjab, Bathinda was the coldest place with a minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius. Sangrur experienced a cold night at 5.3 degrees Celsius while Faridkot recorded a low of 6 degrees.
In Uttarakhand, a large number of tourists arrived at picturesque locations to take advantage of the clear weather and bright sunshine after a spell of heavy snowfall to ring in the new year. In the east, Jharkhand is set to experience a drop in temperatures, with the mercury expected to dip by 3 to 5 degrees during the next two days, the Met office said. As the state gears up for the new year, cold day conditions are likely to persist, along with dense fog in some regions
