By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 20 Dec: Dehradun witnessed a sharp change in weather over the weekend as dense fog enveloped the state capital and adjoining areas from Saturday morning, bringing cold wave conditions and severely disrupting normal life. Cold winds sweeping across the plains led to a marked fall in minimum temperatures, while thick fog reduced visibility to a few metres at several places, affecting air, rail and road transport across the region. Several flights scheduled to land at Dehradun airport, particularly in the morning hours were either diverted or delayed, while some were held back in Delhi due to unsafe landing conditions. Train services are also running behind schedule, and long-distance Uttarakhand Transport Corporation buses were forced to operate at reduced speeds on highways and arterial roads.
Vehicular movement on major roads remained slow during the morning hours, with commuters navigating cautiously amid poor visibility. Schoolchildren, office-goers and morning walkers felt the cold more intensely, especially in the city’s outskirts and areas adjoining the hills, where fog density and icy winds were more pronounced. Dense fog at Dehradun airport and nearby localities caused considerable inconvenience to passengers, with flight operations remaining affected for several hours.
An IndiGo flight from Ahmedabad, scheduled to land at 7.55 am, was unable to touch down and continued circling the skies near Haridwar until around 10.30 am before conditions marginally improved. Similarly, an IndiGo flight from Bhubaneswar was diverted to Jaipur after making multiple attempts to land, as visibility failed to improve. Across the Doon valley, fog at times descended like a fine drizzle, further intensifying cold wave conditions.
According to the India Meteorological Department, dense to very dense fog is likely to persist in the plains of Uttarakhand over the next few days, particularly during night and early morning hours. The IMD has also warned of cold day to severe cold day conditions in isolated pockets of the state. In Dehradun, minimum temperatures are expected to hover between 4 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius over the next two to three days, while maximum temperatures may remain subdued in the range of 17 to 19 degrees Celsius. A temporary marginal rise in night temperatures is possible, followed by another dip, which could prolong cold wave conditions.
Residents have been advised to wear adequate warm clothing, avoid unnecessary early morning travel and remain cautious while driving in low-visibility conditions. The sudden change in weather has led to a visible rise in demand for woollen garments, heaters and hot beverages in city markets.
In the hill station of Mussoorie, winter conditions have tightened their grip, with dense fog and mist severely reducing visibility during early hours and causing a further drop in temperatures. Tourists and local residents were seen wrapped in heavy woollens along Mall Road and nearby areas. The IMD has cautioned that cold conditions may intensify further in Mussoorie and other higher-altitude regions, especially during mornings and evenings.
A yellow alert for dense fog has been issued for Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Champawat and Pauri districts. In the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand, the IMD has forecast light rain and snowfall around December 21 in parts of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh, while areas above 3,500 metres are likely to receive fresh snowfall in the coming days, potentially impacting travel and daily activities in the hill districts. In fact, in Auli, snowfall has already been reported this evening.
