Srinagar, Dec 30 (IANS): It was another chilly, foggy morning in the Kashmir Valley, as a feeble winter sun broke through clouds but failed to bring any respite from the cold in Srinagar on Wednesday.

The local Met Office has forecast continued spell of dry weather in the state for next three to four days.

Dry weather has increased the cold in the valley where minimum temperatures have plunged several degrees below the freezing point and forced people to start their day late.

In Srinagar, the minimum temperature on Wednesday was minus 3.3 degrees Celsius.

"It will be mainly clear sky with haze in Srinagar city and the maximum temperature is likely to hover around 11 degrees Celsius," an official of local weather office told IANS here.

In the tourist ski-resort of Gulmarg, the minimum temperature dropped to minus 7.5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius.

Minimum temperatures have plummeted in the state because of continued spell of dry weather and clear night sky.

Thoise valley in Ladakh region, which has a military airfield, remained frozen at minus 17.0 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and mercury dipped to minus 13.2 degrees Celsius in Leh town of the region.

Kargil town of the same region remained at minus 9.0 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

In Jammu city, the mercury settled at 7.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and the maximum temperature is likely to hover around 22 degrees Celsius.

In other places of the Jammu region, minimum temperatures recorded were 8.8 degrees Celsius in Katra town, minus 0.3 degrees Celsius in Banihal, 2.7 degrees Celsius in Batote, 4.4 degrees Celsius in Udhampur, minus 0.4 Celsius degrees in Bhaderwah town and 7.2 degrees Celsius in Kathua, the weather office said.