Key highlights

• IMD issues dated press releases for fog/cold conditions that are meant to guide decisions, not fuel rumours. Mausam
• The All India Weather Summary & Forecast Bulletin is a clean daily reference point when WhatsApp forwards get creative. Mausam+1
• IMD also publishes a seasonal winter outlook for Dec 2025–Feb 2026, which is probabilistic—not a day-by-day promise. Mausam+1

January weather in North India is rarely dramatic on paper—until you’re stuck in a white wall of fog wondering why the morning feels unsafe.

The adult move in 2026 is simple: follow IMD’s original updates, not interpretations. IMD’s dated press releases tell you when dense or very dense fog is likely, and the All India bulletin gives the broader national picture for the day. Mausam+1 If you only read one thing before a morning commute, make it the official bulletin—because it has time of issue, significance and warnings in one place. Mausam+1

Here’s how to read IMD like a normal person:

• Dense vs very dense fog: this is about visibility risk, not “vibes.” If you drive or ride early, treat it as a time penalty and safety problem. Mausam
• Cold day / severe cold day: this is about unusually low daytime temperatures relative to normal—often linked with persistent fog. Mausam
• Seasonal outlook: it’s a probability map. IMD’s winter outlook for Dec 2025–Feb 2026 talks about where minimum/maximum temperatures are likely to be normal/below/above normal—not what will happen on your exact street at 8:10 AM. Mausam+1

What not to do:

• Don’t treat one cold morning as a “record winter.”
• Don’t compare cities like it’s a scoreboard without checking station coverage and warnings.

In January, weather doesn’t need hysteria—it needs habits: check the bulletin, plan buffer time, and stop trusting screenshots with no date.