As the year draws to a close, winter conditions across India are expected to intensify, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting dense to very dense fog, cold wave conditions, and snowfall in several regions between December 26 and December 31.

According to the IMD, dense to very dense fog during night and early morning hours is very likely in isolated pockets of Bihar till December 26, and over Assam and Meghalaya till December 27.

Foggy conditions are also expected to persist in Jammu and Kashmir, East Arunachal Pradesh, till December 28, and across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Assam, and Meghalaya till December 30.

The weather agency further warned that dense fog may continue in East Madhya Pradesh, north Chhattisgarh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim till December 27, while Bihar could see fog conditions extending till December 31.

In the northern plains, Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh are likely to experience dense to very dense fog till December 30, followed by isolated dense fog in the subsequent two days. West Uttar Pradesh may witness similar conditions till December 29, with fog continuing in isolated pockets thereafter.

Cold Wave and Cold Day Conditions

The IMD has also issued alerts for cold day to severe cold day conditions in parts of Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim between December 26 and 28, and in isolated pockets of Uttarakhand till December 27. Cold wave conditions are expected to persist in select areas, particularly during morning and night hours.

Rainfall and Snowfall Outlook

A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the Western Himalayan region, bringing isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall or snowfall over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad from December 27 to 31. Similar conditions are forecast for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on December 26, 30 and 31.

Additionally, the IMD has predicted isolated thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by gusty winds of 30–40 kmph over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from December 27 to 31.

Delhi Weather

For Delhi, the IMD has forecast a partly cloudy sky, with shallow fog at many places and moderate fog at isolated locations during morning hours. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 22°C, while the minimum temperature may dip to around 8°C.

Temperature Trend

The IMD indicated a gradual fall in minimum temperatures by 2–3°C over Assam, and a drop of 1–2°C over Chhattisgarh during the next three days. No significant change in minimum temperatures is expected across the rest of the country over the next week.

With New Year’s Eve approaching, the IMD has advised commuters and travellers to remain cautious, as low visibility due to fog could impact road, rail, and air traffic in several regions.