Uttarakhand Sees First Snowfall of 2026 as Fog and Frost Grip Plains and Hills

January 2, 2026

Dehradun: Uttarakhand witnessed snowfall on the first day of the year. Manala, waterfalls, and valleys appeared completely white. The snowfall near the Tibet border has caused some problems for soldiers.

The district’s Niti Valley received the season’s first snowfall, covering the entire region with a white blanket of snow. The previous snowfall occurred on December 8, 2025.

Dense fog in 4 districts

Dense fog was seen today in the lower areas of Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Nainital. Rain and snowfall are also expected in four districts today, January 2nd, including Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, and Pithoragarh. Snowfall is also possible in areas with elevations of 3,200 meters or higher.

Dense Fog Hits Lower Districts

A yellow fog alert has been issued for six districts, including Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Champawat, Dehradun, and the lower reaches of Pauri. Frost has fallen in the hilly areas, increasing the cold.

Air Quality in Dehradun Remains Hazardous

Meanwhile, the air in Dehradun remains toxic today, with an AQI of 176, which falls in the hazardous category. The AQI had exceeded 250 a day earlier.

Speaking of the coming days, the weather will remain dry across the state on January 3rd and 4th. The weather is expected to change again the following day, January 5th. After this, the weather will remain dry across the state on January 6th and 7th. Meanwhile, on Thursday, fog in the plains caused a drop in temperatures, resulting in a chill throughout the day.

Dehradun will remain cloudy

In the capital, Dehradun, the sky is expected to be mostly clear to partly cloudy. Fog is expected in the lower areas. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be around 20°C and 7°C, respectively.

Temperature of major cities on January 1 (in degrees Celsius)

Meanwhile, according to the forecast issued by the Meteorological Center, light fog is likely to prevail in the morning and night, especially in the plains, until January 5. The weather may remain clear in the mountainous regions.