Cold wave today continued to grip Himachal Pradesh and J-K where the minimum tempreture fell by as much as six degrees in Ladakh, while the plains in northern India had some respite from the chill. Delhiites also had a pleasant Sunday with the minimum settling at 8.8 deg C as against yesterday's 7.7 deg C while the maximum rose to 23.4 deg C, two degrees above normal, from the previous day's 24 deg C. Pahalgam and Gulmarg tourist resorts were the coldest places in the Kashmir Valley as mercury hovered ten degrees below the freezing point while the minimum temperature in Ladakh region fell by six degrees. Srinagar city witnessed a slightly warmer night at minus 4.8 deg C, an increase of 0.5 degrees compared to yesterday. Leh town was the coldest place in Kashmir division where the minimum fell to minus 17.6 deg C from yesterday's minus 11.4 deg C. Piercing cold wave swept most parts of Himachal Pradesh and further aggravated the chill as both day and night temperatures dropped there. Shimla recorded a maximum temperature of 13.2 deg C. People in Punjab and Haryana heaved a sigh of relief as there was a rise of upto three degrees in minimum temperatures and no foggy day there.