New Delhi

Winter conditions played out unevenly across northern India on Sunday, with snowfall in the higher reaches and rain in the plains of Jammu and Kashmir easing the cold there, even as dense fog and cold-day conditions affected parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said heavy snowfall and rain, along with snowstorms at isolated locations, are likely over the upper reaches of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and northeast Himachal Pradesh till Monday.

In Delhi, a day after recording the coldest December day of the season, temperatures showed a slight rise. The minimum temperature settled at 9.4 degrees Celsius, marginally above the seasonal average, while the maximum stood at 18.1 degrees Celsius, the IMD said. Moderate fog is expected on Monday, with temperatures likely to range between 9 and 21 degrees Celsius.

Visibility at Palam airport dropped sharply due to fog late Sunday night, touching 300 metres between 10 pm and 12.30 am before improving to 600 metres in shallow fog. Poor visibility disrupted air traffic, leading to the cancellation of over 105 flights and delays to more than 450 services at Delhi airport. Weather-related disruptions also led to the cancellation of at least 11 flights at Srinagar International Airport, officials said.

In Jammu and Kashmir, snowfall coincided with the onset of ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the 40-day harshest phase of winter that runs from December 21 to January 30. Despite the snow, Srinagar recorded an unusually warm night, with the minimum temperature at 4 degrees Celsius — about six degrees above normal — making it the city’s warmest night so far this winter.

Fresh snowfall was reported from several tourist destinations, including Gulmarg, where around two inches of snow accumulated. Sonamarg, located on the Srinagar-Kargil highway, also received snowfall through much of the day. Sadhna Top, which connects the Tangdhar sector near the Line of Control to the Kashmir Valley, saw around six inches of snow since Saturday night. Light to moderate rain was reported across Srinagar and other parts of the Valley, ending a prolonged dry spell that had led to a rise in seasonal illnesses.

Locally, snowfall on the first day of Chillai-Kalan is considered auspicious and is seen as an indicator of a good winter ahead, especially after last year’s dry season adversely impacted residents and tourism.

In Himachal Pradesh, the IMD warned of moderate to severe snowstorms at isolated places in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts, while Chamba may also receive light to moderate precipitation. Dense fog is likely in parts of Una, Bilaspur and Mandi districts during late-night and early-morning hours.

Punjab and Haryana experienced a sharper winter bite, with thick fog reducing visibility across several areas. Narnaul was the coldest location in Haryana at 5.2 degrees Celsius, while Gurdaspur recorded the lowest temperature in Punjab at 6.8 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh registered a minimum of 8.8 degrees Celsius. Other towns across both states also reported low temperatures and foggy conditions.

Dense to very dense fog was reported in parts of Uttar Pradesh, with visibility in some areas dropping below 50 metres. The IMD said cold-day to severe cold-day conditions prevailed in pockets of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and warned that dense fog is likely to persist in eastern Uttar Pradesh till December 23.

Rajasthan saw a slight rise in night temperatures due to the influence of a western disturbance, though most places still recorded lows below 10 degrees Celsius. The weather office forecast a drop of 2–3 degrees from December 24 as northerly winds strengthen, along with dense fog in northern and western districts.

READ MORE: Young bride Mrs Yasim taught me differences can be celebrated

Cold conditions were also reported in Jharkhand, where the IMD issued orange and yellow alerts for dense fog and low temperatures in several districts. Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions were additionally observed in isolated pockets of north interior Karnataka and Telangana, the IMD said.