CHANDIGARH, Dec 17: Shallow to medium fog enveloped parts of the tricity on Wednesday, marking the season’s first such spell as daytime temperatures fell sharply and partly cloudy to clear skies prevailed through the day, officials said.
The sharpest cooling was seen in Panchkula, where the maximum temperature dropped to 18 degrees Celsius, about 6.5 degrees lower than Tuesday. Chandigarh’s IAF airport observatory logged a daytime high of 19.1 degrees, while the city station recorded 23 degrees.
“This sudden fall in maximum temperatures is typical when moisture levels rise and solar heating is reduced,” said an IMD scientist. “The fog episodes are likely to become more frequent in the coming days.”
Minimum temperatures, however, edged up slightly. Chandigarh city recorded 8.3 degrees, the airport station 8.5 degrees, and Panchkula 8 degrees, suggesting a slower cooling trend at night.
In the surrounding areas, minimums dipped to around 5.6 degrees at Narnaul, while several stations reported night temperatures in the 11–12 degree range. Daytime highs across the region varied widely, from about 18 degrees to nearly 27 degrees, with Anandpur Sahib among the warmer locations.
The contrast with nearby hill stations remained stark. Shimla continued to stay much colder, reflecting the growing seasonal divide between the plains and the hills as winter advances.
According to the IMD, relative humidity levels in Chandigarh peaked at 95% during morning hours before easing later in the day. Dense to very dense fog was observed at isolated places in Punjab, while Haryana reported dense fog at a few locations.
The IMD has predicted dense to very dense fog at several places in the tricity over the next two days, with skies remaining partly cloudy to mainly clear. Day temperatures are expected to stay near 21–22 degrees, and nights around 8–9 degrees.
“Drivers should slow down and use fog lights when visibility is poor,” the IMD scientist said, adding that the chill is expected to persist even as nights remain relatively stable.
