Cold From Kashmir To The Plains; Snow In Saudi Arabia; El Niño In 2026, Then Resumed Cooling; New Study: Antarctic Sea Level Once 30 Meters Higher; + Conflict-Of-Interest In Climate Lawsuits
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Cold From Kashmir To The Plains
Cold is spreading across India, with deep freezes in the north and unusually persistent chills reaching central regions.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Zojila Pass plunged to -17C (1F), the coldest reading in the region. Much of the Kashmir Valley fell below freezing, with Awantipora seeing -3.8C (25F), Pulwama -3.2C (26F), and Pampore and Baramulla -1.8C (29F).
Freezing lows extended across Kupwara, Budgam, Bandipora, and Ganderbal, confirming a widespread cold wave.
Further south, Pune has recorded its coldest first half of December in at least 12 years. From December 1 to 15, the city’s average minimum fell to 10.66C (51F), with a full week holding below 10C (50F) — a frequency not seen in decades.
Meteorologists cite persistent northerly flow, very dry air, and clear skies driving strong radiational cooling.
Snow In Saudi Arabia
Looking west, the chill extends into the Arabian Peninsula.
Saudi Arabia is enduring a rare wintry blast, with rare settling snow reported in Ha’il during the early hours of Dec 18:
Snow events such as this are usually confined to Saudi Arabia’s higher elevations further north or southwest, not interior desert cities like Ha’il.
From the Himalayas to the Deccan Plateau and into the deserts of Arabia, cold is asserting itself across a wide swath of the region.
