In a surprising weather twist, the plains of Chandigarh turned colder than the popular hill station of Manali on Friday. The city recorded a daytime maximum temperature that was marginally lower, marking a significant departure from the usual winter pattern where Manali sets the benchmark for cold.
A Day of Unusual Chill
Chandigarh's maximum temperature settled at 13 degrees Celsius, which was slightly below Manali's reading of 13.2 degrees Celsius. This comparison is not merely symbolic. Manali, located over 2,000 metres above sea level, is naturally expected to be colder in January. For Chandigarh to match and even undercut its daytime temperature underscores the intensity of the cold air mass gripping the region.
The cold was persistent throughout the day. The maximum temperature remained approximately 5 degrees below the normal average for this time of year. Data from the IMD Chandigarh observatory showed that after the morning hours, there was little recovery in warmth. Conditions stayed uniformly cold from the forenoon right into the evening.
Factors Behind the Biting Cold
Several meteorological factors combined to create this bone-chilling day. Although dense fog was not widespread, visibility at the observatory did reduce to around 600 metres at its lowest, with periods of shallow fog or mist reported in the mornings and evenings.
Rainfall of 13.7mm was recorded in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 am on Friday. This left the city damp and significantly hindered any potential rise in temperature. Furthermore, a persistent cloud cover and calm winds throughout the day limited solar heating, preventing any meaningful warmth from building up.
What Does the Forecast Say?
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) outlook suggests no immediate relief from the cold conditions. The forecast for the coming days predicts:
- Mostly cloudy skies.
- Dense fog during night and morning hours.
- Maximum temperatures are likely to stay subdued, mostly in the range of 14 to 16 degrees Celsius.
- Minimum temperatures may fluctuate between 6 and 8 degrees Celsius.
While the weather is expected to stay dry, disruptions due to fog are likely to continue. For residents of Chandigarh, Friday was not about breaking historic low-temperature records. Instead, it was a stark day where the plains convincingly borrowed the hill-station's characteristic cold and held onto it tightly from dawn till dusk.
