Srinagar Dec 27 PTI Snowfall in some parts and brief rainfall in most areas of Kashmir has resulted in respite from intense cold wave conditions on Monday officials saidSrinagar recorded a low of22 degrees Celsius Sunday night up nearly four degrees from the previous nights minus 18 degrees CelsiusThey said Qazigund the gateway town to the valley recorded the minimum of 12 degrees CelsiusThe nearby south Kashmir town of Kokernag recorded a low of minus 23 degrees CelsiusThe mercury in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of 15 degrees CelsiusPahalgam which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra recorded a low of minus 41 degrees Celsius down from minus 38 degrees Celsius the previous nightThe mercury in Gulmarg settled at a low of minus 60 degrees Celsius -- 15 degrees up from the previous nightModerate to light snowfall has been reported from most parts of north Kashmir and south Kashmir including Gulmarg Sonamarg and Pahalgam tourist resorts Kashmir valley is currently under the grip of the 40-day harshest winter period known as Chilla-i-Kalan which began on TuesdayChilla-i-Kalan is a period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies including the famous Dal Lake here as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valleyThe chances of snowfall are the most frequent and maximum during this period and most areas especially in the higher reaches receive heavy to very heavy snowfallThe Chilla-i-Kalan will end on January 31 but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long Chillai-Khurd small cold and a 10-day-long Chillai-Bachha baby cold PTI MIJ RCJ RCJ