Delhi-NCR braces for freezing winter: La Niña may bring coldest season in years to north India

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Delhi-NCR is expected to experience one of its harshest winters in decades during the 2025–2026 season due to the combined effects of La Niña, strong western disturbances, and high fog frequency. The coldest period is anticipated to be from December 2025 through February 2026, with average minimum temperatures potentially dropping several degrees below normal.

According to the Times of India, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad may see minimum temperatures dipping well below average, with frequent cold waves.

So, what is La Niña and why does it really matter?

A climate phenomenon marked by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, La Niña is part of the larger El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, which also includes its opposite phase El Niño, known for warmer ocean temperatures, News18 reported. La Niña affects global weather patterns, including monsoons, winter temperatures, and storm tracks.

According to the Deccan Herald, La Niña typically leads to colder and wetter winters in parts of Asia, including India, especially northern and north-western regions. While El Niño brought a warmer monsoon and dry spells earlier this year, La Niña is expected to swing the pendulum in the opposite direction.

Expecting the phenomenon to set in by late 2025, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘La Niña Watch’. Once it settles, it could lead to below-normal minimum temperatures across northern India, increased frequency of cold waves, persistent fog events—especially in the Indo-Gangetic plain, and more intense western disturbances that bring rain and snow to the Himalayas and chill to the plains.

Speaking to India Today, meteorologists said the convergence of La Niña and other regional weather systems could make January 2026 one of the coldest months in recent history, with temperatures potentially dropping to 2–3°C in Delhi-NCR during peak winter.

‘Severe winter chill could trigger health issues’: Experts

The chill will also bring with it several health complications, warn experts, especially for the elderly, infants, and those with respiratory conditions. Every year, the Capital struggles with air pollution due to stubble burning and extreme cold is likely to worsen the situation.

While North India is no stranger to cold winters, it’s the combination of intensifying factors that could lead to more troubles. Previous La Niña years have also brought extreme cold spells to India. For instance, during the 2020–21 winter, Delhi recorded its coldest minimum temperatures in 15 years.

The phenomenon is expected around late November to early December, when night temperatures could drop. Then, from mid-December to mid-February, North India could see peak winter with the highest risk of cold waves. Some experts pegged January 2026 to be the coldest month.