Delhiites are living a dream of having a house in the Hill Stations. No, they are not being allotted free plots uphill but the mercury has dramatically dipped in the national capital making it colder than Shimla and Mussoorie. Delhi touched 3 degrees Celsius on Friday, making it one of the coldest days experienced this winter.

The cold snap is making Delhi, located in the plains, far colder than some hill stations. As per reports, Delhi’s minimum temperature was lower than Dalhousie (4.9 degrees Celsius), Dharamshala (5.2 degrees Celsius), Kangra (3.2 degrees Celsius), Shimla (3.7 degrees Celsius), Mussoorie (4.4 degrees Celsius) and Nainital (6.2 degrees Celsius).

The weather department had issued an orange alert for Delhi for Thursday and Friday. A fresh western disturbance expected today may help in dispersing the fog and bringing respite, an IMD official was quoted by media reports.

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So, why does it never snow in Delhi?

You all must have come across the viral AI-generated images of what Delhi would look like covered under snow. However, the reality is that Delhi cannot witness snowfall due to several reasons.

The location does not permit snowfall even when it can get really cold. Delhi is an extremely dry city and winter is at its peak in January when icy winds from the Himalayas blow into the plains, plunging the temperatures low.

In Delhi and its surrounding cities, the minimum temperature reaches zero degrees Celsius, which is essential for precipitation to fall as snow. When the mercury dips to the range of zero degrees, Delhi and other areas usually witness frost, not snow, for which at or below-freezing temperatures are necessary.

Also, for it to snow, clouds need to form. If the sky is overcast in Delhi during winter, the cloud cover rather traps heat. For snow, the temperature at ground level too should be sub-zero, that is, at or below freezing temperatures.

The what is Delhi winter like?

Delhi winters are recognised by thick fog and haze which cuts off sunlight, reducing visibility and bringing bone-chilling cold to the city.