Srinagar, Jan. 5 -- Cold wave conditions in Kashmir intensified as the minimum temperature across the valley dipped by a couple of degrees, India Meteorological Department (MeT) officials said on Sunday. The MeT update said that Srinagar recorded a minimum of -3.2degC on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday while the day temperature was 9.6degC. The lowest temperature was recorded in the ski resort of Gulmarg during the night at -6.5degC, while the day temperature settled at 1.0degC. Jammu and Kashmir, mostly Kashmir valley, has witnessed prolonged dry weather conditions mostly for the past three months causing the rivers to dry up and prompting dozens of incidents of forest fires, weather and forest experts said. However, in a much sought relief from the long dry spell, there was widespread light snowfall in the mountains of Kashmir while the plains were lashed with rainfall from December 21, coinciding with the beginning of the harshest period of Valley's winter- Chillai Kalan. Chillai Kalan is usually the coldest period of the season with maximum snowfall expected till it ends by January end. The harsh winter period is followed by 20 more days which are less intense (called Chillai Khurd) and then lastly 10 days of mild cold (Chille Bache). Light snowfall was witnessed in some mountainous areas of Kashmir including the ski resort of Gulmarg on Sunday, the meteorological centre in Srinagar said. The centre said that a weak western disturbance - moisture laden winds from Mediterranean - affected the region's higher reaches and brought some snowfall. "There was some light snowfall in Gulmarg, Tangmarg and adjoining areas and also at some scattered places," said director MeT, Mukhtar Ahmad. The snowfall has given a further boost to the tourism sector in the ski resort which has been witnessing an increased footfall since intermittent snowfall from December 20 onwards. In the plains, however, the weather was mostly dry and the day witnessed a few hours of sunshine. Ahmad said that another weak disturbance is going to hit the valley on December 5 and 6. "The effect of that weather system will not be much except some light snowfall is a few higher reaches. There is no major snow prediction in the coming days," he added....