North India Witnesses Biting Cold On New Year; Heavy Snow In Kashmir, Showers Likely In Delhi

Last Updated:January 01, 2026, 10:21 IST

Delhi on Wednesday recorded its coldest December day in six years, ending 2025 on a chilling note as the maximum temperature plunged to 14.2 degrees Celsius.

Several parts of north India woke up on the first day of 2026 to biting cold conditions.(Image: PTI/File)

As India embraces the new year, much of North India experienced severe cold on Wednesday. Kashmir’s higher reaches were blanketed with snow, and Delhi shivered just a day after the capital saw its coldest December day in six years.

Delhi Records Coldest December In 6 Years

The capital on Wednesday recorded its coldest December day in six years, ending 2025 on a chilling note as the maximum temperature plunged to 14.2 degrees Celsius.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the last time the city recorded a lower maximum temperature was on December 31 in 2019, when the day’s maximum had dipped to 9.4 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature on Wednesday was recorded at 14.2 degrees Celsius, about 6.2 notches below normal, the lowest this season, while the minimum temperature settled at 6.4 degrees Celsius, around 0.4 notches below the seasonal average.

Notably, the second-lowest temperature this December was recorded on December 20, when it fell to 16.9 degrees Celsius.

It is predicted that colder conditions may develop from January 3 onwards as minimum temperatures could drop further, with cold northerly winds from the Himalayan region expected to move towards the national capital.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality also dropped to the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 371 recorded around 8:00 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), on the very first day of the New Year 2026.

Punjab, Haryana Shiver

Parts of Punjab and Haryana are also reeling under intense cold as minimum temperatures hovered a few notches above normal in many places of both states on Wednesday.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a low of 6.1 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal. Ludhiana and Patiala logged minimum temperatures of 6.8 and 7.2 degrees Celsius, respectively, according to a report of the meteorological department.

News india North India Witnesses Biting Cold On New Year; Heavy Snow In Kashmir, Showers Likely In Delhi

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