Srinagar - Severe cold conditions, coupled with power shortage, has affected normal life in the Kashmir valley, where Srinagar recorded coldest night after the minimum temperature dipped to minus 3.4 degree, 2.4 degree below normal.

Drass, the world's second coldest place after Siberia, remained coldest recording minimum temperature at minus 20 degree.

Taps, ponds and small nallahs were frozen this morning as people woke up. Water on roads could be seen frozen, However, it melted as the day progressed.

Because of an open sky during the night in the absence of any Western Disturbances (WD), the minimum temperature goes down, UNI quoted a weather office spokesman as saying.

He said the WD, originating from Arabian sea and entering the Kashmir through Afghanistan and Pakistan, are very weak resulting in dry weather conditions.

There are no possibility of strong WD till December 9, he said adding snowfall and rains in the region are dependent on strong WD which hit the valley in last week of November when there was snowfall and rains.

He said because of the open sky during the day, the maximum temperature was above normal during the past one week.

He said famed tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir Himalyas recorded minus 4.7 degree minimum temperature.

The water level in river Lidder, Pahalgam, base camp of holy Amarnath cave shrine, has also gone down as the snow on upper reaches has also frozen.