North India Gripped by Season's Coldest Spell, Delhi at 3.2°C and Gurugram Freezes at 0.6°C

North India is experiencing its coldest spell this winter, with Delhi recording 3.2°C and Gurugram freezing at 0.6°C, even hitting -1°C in parts of Gurgaon on January 12, 2026. Dense fog and ground frost are widespread across Delhi NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab. The India Meteorological Department forecasts the severe cold wave to persist for several days, leading to school closures and revised timings in regions like Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand due to the biting temperatures.

North India is currently enduring the season's most severe cold spell, bringing life to a near standstill across multiple states. On Monday, Delhi registered its lowest minimum temperature of the winter so far at 3.2 degrees Celsius. The conditions were even more extreme on the outskirts of the National Capital Region, with Haryana's Gurugram plummeting to 0.6 degrees Celsius. Notably, ground frost was observed in parts of Gurgaon on January 12, 2026, where temperatures dipped to minus 1 degree Celsius between 5 am and 7:30 am, resulting in layers of ice from freezing dew across open areas in Delhi NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings, indicating that the cold wave is expected to continue for the next few days, with severe cold conditions anticipated in isolated pockets across northern India. Minimum temperatures in Delhi and surrounding regions are predicted to remain 3 to 5 degrees below normal for the next three days. The biting cold has prompted significant disruptions, with authorities ordering the closure of schools or revising timings in several areas. For instance, in Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad district has suspended classes for students up to Grade 5 until January 15, while higher grades operate on revised schedules. Similar measures are in effect in Jharkhand's Ranchi district, where schools for younger students are closed until January 14. The IMD has also issued a yellow alert for cold wave conditions in parts of Jharkhand from January 13 to 16, and forecasts dense fog across northwest India and Bihar for the next five days, alongside severe cold wave conditions for Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand on January 12 and 13.