Winter Cold Conditions May Not Intensify Over Northern Plains In November: Fog Too Will Be Missing
Image: AI-Skymet
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Winter chill arrived early but failed to intensify, with temperatures rising across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan.
- November saw almost no active western disturbances, limiting snowfall in the mountains and temperature drops in the plains.
- Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh recorded massive rain/snow deficits of 80–90% this month.
- Northern plains will continue with mild cold, mostly double-digit minimums, with fog remaining largely absent.
The northern plains of India have escaped extreme cold conditions so far. Winter chill arrived slightly earlier than usual in November but failed to intensify for longer durations. There were cold wave conditions over parts of East Rajasthan earlier this week, which have now eased. Sikar in Rajasthan recorded a low of 5.4°C, which has now risen to 9°C. Parts of Haryana and Punjab show a similar trend. Even the capital city Delhi recorded the season’s lowest of 8.7°C on 17 Nov, which has now climbed to double digits for the last three days. Overall, the bitter cold is not catching up as expected earlier, halfway through the month.
November is the least rainy month for the plains of North India. For the mountains as well, weather activity is minimal, though the mid and higher reaches do receive spells of snowfall. Western disturbances are the main trigger for this snowfall. Cold air in the wake of these disturbances blows down the slopes of the mountains, reducing temperatures across the plains. The track of western disturbances generally lowers in latitude as the month progresses, but this has not happened this season. There was hardly any active western disturbance moving across the mountains during November.
Water bodies and glacial lakes have been starved during November 2025. Jammu & Kashmir has a rain/snow deficit of 80%, and Himachal Pradesh even more—about 90%—during the period from 01 to 21 Nov 2025. There is hardly any chance of recovery, and the shortfall is likely to grow further in the remaining days of the month. In the absence of active westerly systems, no fresh snowfall is likely. The northern plains will continue with the existing cold conditions. Temperatures may drop marginally because of seasonal progression and not due to any weather activity. Double-digit minimum temperatures will remain dominant at many places. Exceptions will be isolated pockets dropping to single digits, but not lower than 8°C. Typical seasonal fog will remain conspicuously missing, having shown a complete “no show” so far.
