Peak Winter 2026 Gone Past Over North India: Worst Seems Over
Key Takeaways:
- January marked the peak of winter across North India, with no station dipping below 0°C.
- February is climatologically the rainiest winter month, though activity duration is shorter.
- Winter rainfall remains deficient, with January 2026 ending 31% below normal.
- Extreme cold conditions are unlikely to return, despite continued fog in February.
The month of January is considered the coldest for both the mountains and plains of North India. February, on the other hand, is the rainiest of all winter months. Rainfall and snowfall figures during winter peak in February over Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. However, extreme winter conditions more often conclude by the end of January or, at best, during the initial days of February. Chillai Kalan, the harshest winter period for Kashmir, ends on January 31. Minor spillovers may occur occasionally, but conditions generally start easing from the first week of February.
This season, the second and third weeks of January accounted for the peak of winter. In the plains, some locations are historically prone to breaching the freezing mark. However, none of the stations dipped below 0°C, although a few locations recorded minimum temperatures of 1°C or lower on one or two days. The lowest minimum temperatures recorded during mid-January include Sikar (0.5°C), Churu (1.3°C), Hisar (0.2°C), and Amritsar (1.1°C). An exception was observed at PAU College of Agriculture, Ballowal Saunkari in SBS Nagar district of Punjab, which recorded a minimum temperature of 0°C on January 13, 2026. The national capital, Delhi, recorded its lowest minimum of 2.9°C on January 15, 2026.
Climatologically, the frequency of western disturbances is highest in February, although the duration of weather activity tends to be shorter. Last year, January was the worst-affected month, with a countrywide rainfall shortfall of 71%. February 2025 also remained deficient by 30%, effectively resulting in a winter drought. Conditions are not as severe this season; however, January 2026 still recorded a rainfall deficit of 31%. The first half of February does not show any promise of a strong compensating spell of rain or snow, and the seasonal shortfall is likely to increase. As the deficit widens, it becomes increasingly difficult to recover later in the season.
Dense fog is expected to continue during February, but minimum temperatures are unlikely to breach the records set in January 2026. The peak of extreme winter conditions appears to be over, and a repeat of January’s minimum temperatures is unlikely.
