A severe cold wave swept across North India with snowfall in the hills, dense fog in the plains, and temperatures dipping to –1.5°C in Sonmarg, prompting travel disruptions and weather warnings.
North India grappled with a severe cold wave on Sunday, as minimum temperatures plunged and fresh snowfall covered the upper reaches. The mercury slipped to –1.5 degrees Celsius in Sonmarg, and colder conditions spread across the plains. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more snow, rain, and dense fog over the coming 24 to 48 hours for areas from Jammu and Kashmir to Rajasthan.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the first major snowfall signalled the start of Chillai-Kalan, the harshest 40 days of winter. Gulmarg recorded nearly two inches of snow and sub-zero temperatures, while Sonmarg saw continuous snowfall throughout the day. Srinagar, however, registered its warmest night of the season, with the minimum at 4°C. Poor visibility and weather disruptions resulted in the cancellation of at least 11 flights at Srinagar International Airport.
Himachal Pradesh also remained in the grip of biting cold as snowfall covered high-altitude areas in Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba districts. Snow was reported at Shinku La, Rohtang Pass and parts of the Pangi Valley, with flakes later seen near the Atal Tunnel. Light snowfall attracted large numbers of tourists to Shinku La, located at around 5,000 metres and being developed as a new snow tourism destination. Meanwhile, dense cloud cover over mid and lower hill areas prolonged a dry spell, leaving the state with a 100% rainfall deficit this month. The IMD warned of moderate to severe snowstorms at isolated places in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti.
Dense fog and cold day conditions across the plains
In the plains, winter chill intensified across Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as dense fog enveloped several areas. Narnaul in Haryana recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 5.2°C, while Gurdaspur was the coldest location in Punjab at 6.8°C. Dense to very dense fog reduced visibility to less than 50 metres in parts of Uttar Pradesh, where cold day to severe cold day conditions were reported in pockets, along with isolated areas of Uttarakhand.
Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 9.4°C, slightly above average, a day after witnessing the season’s coldest December day.
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