North India Shivers: Snow in J&K & Himachal, Dense Fog Hits Punjab-Haryana-Delhi-UP-Bihar, 60+ Trains Delayed, 110 Flights Cancelled, 700+ Affected at Delhi Airport, Chillai Kalan Begins – No Immediate Relief

North India Shivers

English Version SBKI News Weather Desk

New Delhi, SBKI News Weather Desk. North India is reeling under an intense cold wave and dense fog, crippling daily life across the plains. Snowfall and rain in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh have further strengthened fog and chill in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, severely affecting road, rail and air traffic.

In Kashmir, fresh rain and snowfall have marked the beginning of the 40-day harsh winter spell ‘Chillai Kalan’. Popular tourist destinations like Sonamarg and Gulmarg and other higher reaches received snow, while continuous rain in Srinagar from early morning till late evening kept people indoors. Light rain in Jammu and Katra added to the chill. Due to snowfall, traffic on the Mughal Road connecting Rajouri and Poonch with Shopian has been suspended as a precautionary measure.

In Himachal Pradesh, higher reaches of Rohtang, Shinku La, Baralacha, Dhauladhar ranges and Lahaul have been covered with snow. Rohtang and Kunzum passes recorded about half a foot of fresh snowfall, while Chamba, Bharmour and Churah witnessed light rain, dragging day temperatures sharply down and pushing mountain chill into the plains.Dainik Jagran

Across the plains, dense fog in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has reduced visibility to dangerous levels, forcing vehicles to crawl on highways. Narnaul in Haryana and Gurdaspur in Punjab remained among the coldest spots with minimum temperatures around 5.2–6.8°C, while Chandigarh recorded 8.8°C. The Met department says seven cities in Bihar will remain under fog and 25 districts will continue to face severe cold for the next few days.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi’s minimum temperature was 9.4°C, about 1.3°C above normal, and the maximum 18.1°C. A yellow alert has been issued for cold and fog conditions in the capital.

Rail traffic has taken a major hit. Over 60 trains to and from Delhi ran late by two to nine-and-a-half hours. The New Delhi–Barauni Humsafar Special was delayed by nearly nine-and-a-half hours, while the New Delhi–Varanasi Vande Bharat and New Delhi–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Vande Bharat were late by about five hours each. New Delhi–Lucknow Tejas, New Delhi–Sealdah Rajdhani and New Delhi–Howrah Rajdhani also ran three to four-and-a-half hours behind schedule.

At Delhi’s IGI Airport, low visibility forced cancellation of 110 flights and delay of more than 700 flights. Four incoming flights were diverted to Jaipur and Ahmedabad. Between 15 and 21 December, total cancellations due to fog have touched 806 flights.

The Met office forecasts that minimum temperatures may rise slightly for the next two days, but then are likely to drop by 3–5°C for at least four consecutive days, meaning no immediate relief from the intense cold and fog across North India.

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