Delhi Experiences First Cold Day of 2026 as Intense Winter Grips North India

7th January 2026 at 9:21 AM

1 minute read

Bay of Bengal Storm Intensifies: Heavy Rains Expected in South While Gujarat Braces for Continued Cold

North India faced intensifying cold weather on Tuesday, with fresh snowfall in mountainous regions and dropping temperatures leading Delhi to register its inaugural cold day of the year.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted additional light rain or snow in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Sub-zero minimum temperatures prevailed at numerous locations in Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad, while several spots in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand recorded readings between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius. Many areas in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan saw minima between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius.

In Delhi, the IMD anticipated continued cold day conditions into Wednesday, with daytime highs ranging from 13 to 16 degrees Celsius. A cold day is officially declared when the maximum temperature falls 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius below the seasonal norm. On Tuesday, the capital’s high reached 15.7 degrees Celsius—3.3 degrees below average—while the low was 7.6 degrees Celsius, slightly above normal.

In Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, authorities imposed a full ban on trekking above 3,000 meters due to deteriorating weather. Jammu and Kashmir’s Gulmarg recorded the region’s lowest overnight temperature at minus 8.6 degrees Celsius, with light snow affecting higher elevations, including Mughal Road and parts of Ganderbal. Srinagar’s minimum dipped to minus 4 degrees Celsius.

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Rajasthan endured severe cold, with nights below 10 degrees Celsius in multiple areas and four locations under 5 degrees. Schools extended winter breaks for younger students in over a dozen districts, including Jaipur, amid dense fog—the first of the season in the capital—and reduced visibility elsewhere.

Jharkhand issued a coldwave yellow alert for 10 districts, including Garhwa, Palamu, and Gumla, expected to persist until January 7, with Gumla logging the state’s lowest at 2.2 degrees Celsius.

Further east, Kolkata marked its chilliest January day at 10.2 degrees Celsius—a rare drop below 11 degrees in the past 15 years—while the IMD warned of worsening cold in southern West Bengal and fog in the north.