New Delhi: The month of February has begun on a bitterly cold note across North India, as weather conditions once again turned harsh under the continued influence of a western disturbance. On Monday morning, February 2, residents in Delhi-NCR and surrounding regions experienced a sharp chill, accompanied by moisture in the air, overcast skies, and patches of fog and haze.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the western disturbance remains active and is expected to influence weather patterns until February 3. Morning and night temperatures are likely to feel more piercing, while daytime sunshine may remain weak. Cold winds will further intensify the chill factor across the plains.
In Delhi-NCR, no major weather shift is expected between February 3 and February 7. Skies will remain partly cloudy, with light to moderate fog possible during early morning hours. Wind speeds are expected to stay between 5–10 kmph from February 3 to 5, increasing to 10–15 kmph on February 6 and 7 due to colder northerly winds.
On February 2, maximum temperatures in Delhi are expected to range between 20°C and 22°C, while minimum temperatures may hover between 10°C and 12°C. Between February 3 and 5, daytime temperatures could drop further to 18°C–20°C, with minimum temperatures likely to fall to 8°C–10°C on February 3 and 4.
Conditions remain far more severe in the Himalayan states. Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh continue to face extremely harsh weather. Several parts of Jammu & Kashmir are witnessing heavy snowfall, with temperatures plunging to as low as –7°C in Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam. Strong icy winds have intensified the cold, while higher-altitude regions remain vulnerable to avalanches.
In Himachal Pradesh, districts including Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, Manali, Shimla and Chamba are experiencing snowfall and rainfall, leading to slippery roads and travel disruptions. Authorities have advised commuters to exercise extreme caution.
Uttarakhand is also firmly under the grip of the western disturbance. Cloud cover persists in Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Rudraprayag and Nainital, while continuous snowfall is being reported from higher reaches. Gangotri and Yamunotri have recorded a further dip in temperatures due to fresh snowfall. Weather conditions are expected to remain challenging over the next 48 hours, prompting the administration to remain on high alert and urge citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.
In the plains, the weather impact is visible across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Western and central Uttar Pradesh are witnessing intermittent rainfall, with cloud cover prevailing in Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Agra, Mathura and Aligarh. Parts of Haryana, including Gurugram, Faridabad, Ambala, Karnal and Rohtak, reported rainfall accompanied by cold winds.
Light rain is likely in parts of Punjab such as Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala, while cloud cover is expected to persist over Rajasthan’s Jaipur, Ajmer, Bharatpur and Udaipur divisions.
Weather experts caution that even after this system passes, the cold is unlikely to ease significantly. The opening days of February, they say, signal that winter is in no mood to retreat just yet.
