Jalandhar is still a long way from single-digit night temperatures, with the minimum temperature recorded at 22.3°C on October 3, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The latest IMD forecast indicates that minimum temperatures in the city are expected to remain between 21°C and 23°C over the next seven days.
This means Jalandhar's night temperature is currently around 12°C above the 10°C mark that many residents associate with the arrival of colder winter nights.
There is no confirmed date yet for when Jalandhar city will record its first minimum temperature below 10°C this winter. However, IMD bulletins from the previous winter provide an indication of when single-digit temperatures began appearing across Punjab's plains.
In its extended-range forecast issued on November 20, 2025, the IMD forecast minimum temperatures of 7°C to 10°C at many places over Punjab for November 20 to 26.
By November 27, the IMD bulletin reported minimum temperatures of 6°C to 10°C at many places over Punjab. The department also warned of cold-wave conditions in isolated parts of Punjab on November 28 and 29.
This shows that single-digit night temperatures were already being recorded at several places in the Punjab plains by the second half of November last year.
The colder conditions became more pronounced in early December 2025.
The IMD warned of cold-wave conditions in isolated pockets of Punjab between December 3 and 5. During this period, Adampur, an IMD weather station in Jalandhar district, recorded some of the lowest temperatures in the plains.
Adampur recorded a minimum of 2.4°C on December 3, followed by 2.2°C on December 6 and 3.0°C on December 10.
The IMD's weekly summary for December 11 to 17 also recorded 3.6°C at Adampur on December 12 as the lowest temperature during that period.
These figures, however, should not be treated as temperatures recorded in Jalandhar city. Adampur has a separate IMD weather station, and its readings represent that station's location.
Based on last year's IMD bulletins, single-digit minimum temperatures began appearing at many places across Punjab in November, while the sharper cold was seen in December.
But this does not provide an exact date for Jalandhar city in 2026.
As of October 3, the city's minimum is still at 22.3°C, and the seven-day forecast keeps minimum temperatures between 21°C and 23°C. Therefore, there is currently no IMD data that supports giving a specific date for Jalandhar's first night below 10°C.
Last year's data is also not a forecast for this winter. Weather conditions can vary from one year to another.
The 10°C mark and a cold wave are not the same thing.
According to IMD criteria, in the plains, a cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature falls to 4°C or below, or when the minimum is 10°C or below and at least 4.5°C below the normal temperature.
Therefore, if Jalandhar records 9°C on a particular night, it would be a single-digit minimum, but that alone would not automatically mean the city is experiencing a cold wave.
For now, Jalandhar's nights remain in the low 20s. Clear skies, dry conditions and the arrival of colder northwesterly winds can cause night temperatures to fall, while cloud cover and passing weather systems can keep minimum temperatures higher.