Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula experienced a harsh cold wave on Wednesday, with the Tricity region recording one of its coldest spells of the season. Dense fog, mist, haze, cloud cover, and ground frost combined to intensify the chill, pushing temperatures well below seasonal averages.
Chandigarh’s daytime high barely reached 8.9°C, marking a drop of 6.3°C from Tuesday and 9.5°C below normal. The sun remained hidden throughout the day, offering no relief from the biting cold.
In a surprising twist, Chandigarh remained colder than popular hill stations, with Manali, Shimla, and Srinagar recording significantly higher daytime temperatures of 15.2°C, 14.6°C, and 13.2°C, respectively. Experts attribute this unusual scenario to persistent fog limiting daytime heating, combined with high humidity and dense cloud cover.
Night temperatures in Chandigarh also remained low. After dipping to a nine-year low of 2.8°C on the night of Monday-Tuesday, it marginally rose to 3.8°C on Tuesday-Wednesday night — still 3.1°C below normal. By comparison, Shimla’s night temperature stayed warmer at 7.2°C.
Relative humidity in the Tricity region hovered between 86% and 95%, helping maintain dense fog and prolonging the cold conditions.
The past 24 hours remained largely dry, yet dense to very dense fog was reported across many locations in Punjab, Haryana, and the Tricity. Chandigarh experienced long spells of dense fog late at night and early morning, followed by mist and haze throughout the day.
Nearby stations also recorded chilly temperatures. Ambala’s maximum temperature stood around 9°C, while Hisar in Haryana recorded the region’s lowest minimum at 0.5°C.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Thursday, warning residents of dense fog and cold wave conditions in select areas. A yellow alert for dense fog at isolated places will remain in effect from Friday through next Tuesday. While the weather is expected to remain dry until January 17, light rainfall may occur at isolated places between January 18 and 20.
Weather experts predict a gradual rise in minimum temperatures by 3–5°C over the next five days. No significant change in daytime highs is expected immediately after, suggesting that residents will continue to feel the winter chill.
Chandigarh residents are advised to stay warm, take precautions while traveling in foggy conditions, and keep updated with official weather alerts. This unusual cold spell, hitting a major city colder than hill stations, highlights the intensity of the current winter wave in North India.