In the year of 2025, while curtains are about to fall soon, an unusually high intensity of winter chill has gripped the state of Assam. On Monday (December 29), a number of places in the state recorded maximum temperatures at less than half of this proportion, around 18.5°C, which is nearly four to six degrees below their usual seasonal norms.
Hardy folks that we are in the Northeast, there’s nothing new about facing delightful winters, but this extreme dive into what felt like a “shivering zone” has dragged the usual end-of-the-year mood and turned it into an experience one hardly associates with the hill station after-effects.
But the dip in mercury wasn’t the sole story that morning: A thick, defiant quilt of hill fog enveloped the Brahmaputra valley, blocking the sun for much of Wednesday and throwing life — from Dhubri to Dibrugarh — into disarray.
A “No-Sun” Monday: The Science Behind the State-Wide Chill
Day temps plummet in state The sharp fall in day temperatures across the region over the past one week is mainly due to a blanket of fog casting shadows and cold continental winds continuing to blow down from the foothills of Himalayas, said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC). Where light from the sun can not penetrate fog accumulating in a thick gloomy layer, instead of the greenhouse effect of the day which will warm up the surface, we have no heating on this ground.
Weather Snapshot: December 29, 2025
- Max Temperature (State Avg): 18.5°C (-6°C from normal)
- Low Temperature: 15.6°C (on the high side with all the cloud/fog)
- Humidity: Climbed to a muggy 96 percent in inland, riverine areas.
- Visibility: Reduced to less than 150m in many districts, including Kamrup, Jorhat, and Nagaon.
Funny, those days seemed so much colder but unrealistic as the minimum (nighttime temp) wasn’t that low. This happens because the fog is like an insulating blanked at night that locks in heat emitted from the earth so it can’t escape into the atmosphere.
Life in the Fog: Disruptions and Everyday Tussles
The extreme weather has been felt vividly by millions of residents across the state. In the early morning, something as lively as a holiday-season commute turned sluggish and uncertain when visibility dropped sharply on major arteries like National Highway 37.
Impact on Travel and Logistics
Aviation: Flight operations at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport and Dibrugarh Airport in Assam have been hit by major delays. At least half a dozen early morning incoming flights had to be diverted off and arrivals delayed as an entire cat-III night operation was held up with pilots having to wait until the “cat-III” scene cleared! Even high-profile travel was hit, with reports suggesting that union home minister Amit Shah’s planned movement in the region was rescheduled due to low visibility.
Road Safety: Regional authorities also advised drivers to switch on their fog lights and drive slowly. The thick fog had led to multiple minor accidents on the highways that run through Kaziranga, where animals and vehicles have long coexisted.
River Transport: Acrisis-ridden ferry service across the Brahmaputra affected the movement of people between North Guwahati and main city in the morning, while a limited number of ferries were available to travel from Majuli island to Jorhat district on account of passenger safety in muddy waters.
New Year Forecast What’s in Store for Assam?
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this “cool wave” will not let up through the end of the year. The maximum temperature may, however, increase a bit—disseminating to 20°C–22°C range—but early morning fog is likely to hang in for the next 72 hours at least.
Looking Toward 2026
For all those planning New Year’s Eve celebrations throughout Assam, here is what the forecast looks like:
- Foggy Days: Moderate to thick fog will persist from 5am to 11 am every day until January 2.
- Misty Rain: So there may be light drizzle or “misty rain” in some parts of the Barak Valley and Upper Assam to make it chillier.
- Night Chill: With fog dispersing, minimums which are expected to drop further will dip around 9-11°C by early January.
Safety Tips for Residents
- Layer On: Don moisture-sucking under layers and heavy, woolen outer garments—the high humidity (read: higher percentage of moisture in the air) makes the cold “more piercing” than dry cold.
- Drive Safe: Check all your vehicle lights are working. If visibility is anywhere less than 50 meters, pull over safely till it improves especially on the tea-garden roads.
- Health Precautions: Senior citizens and people with respiratory problems are advised to stay indoors specially during the peak foggy hours not to inhale thick particles of moist air.
As Assam gears up to welcome the New Year, a word from the skies: let woolens not go out of reach and pull out those heaters again. Right now, the state is a pretty though ever so slightly chilly winter wonderland.
