Flight operations in Leh halted amid snowfall, Delhi sees several delays due to fog

HEAVY snowfall in Leh on Monday disrupted flight operations, with airlines including IndiGo and SpiceJet temporarily halting operations at the airport.

In an advisory, IndiGo said that it had temporarily put on hold both takeoffs and landings at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh.

“Due to snowfall in Leh, flight operations, both take-offs and landings, have been temporarily put on hold. This may lead to extended wait times both onboard and on the ground,” IndiGo said in its passenger advisory.

It told passengers that its team may complete the boarding formalities in advance to ensure that flights are ready to depart as soon as clearance is received.

“We understand that delays can be inconvenient, and we assure you that our team remains fully committed to making your wait as comfortable as possible,” it said.

IndiGo also asked passengers to check their latest flight status before heading to the airport.

“We are closely monitoring the weather and will get you on your way as soon as conditions allow. Customers are advised to check their latest flight status before heading to the airport,” it said.

Budget airlines SpiceJet also issued an advisory due to the Leh snowfall today.

“Due to bad weather in Leh (IXL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status,” it wrote in a post on X.

Flights delayed in Delhi
Several flights were delayed at the Delhi airport on Monday morning due to fog and low visibility conditions.

Several airlines delayed their flights to and from Delhi due to fog and reduced visibility conditions, according to ANI.

North India shivers, IMD predicts cold waves

Winter tightened its grip across North India on Monday as temperatures dropped in various places, with the IMD predicting snowfall and/or cold waves across cities, including Srinagar, Jammu and Chandigarh.

According to the IMD, isolated light to moderate rainfall or snowfall is very likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad during 5 and 6 January.

The Met Department also predicted light to moderate rainfall or snowfall in Himachal Pradesh on 5 and 6 January 2026, and in Uttarakhand on 6 January 2026.

“Ground frost very likely at isolated places over Uttarakhand on 5th & 6th January 2026,” the IMD said.

It has also predicted cold wave conditions in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand between 5 and 9 January.

A gradual fall in minimum temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius is also likely over Central and East India during the next three days, with no significant change thereafter for the next three days, the IMD said in its latest bulletin.