Punjab does not usually move straight from autumn into peak winter and the state sees a gradual change in temperatures, with noticeable cooling beginning in November and the colder winter conditions setting in during December.
Across cities such as Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar, November generally brings the first significant fall in temperature and daytime temperatures drop to around 28°C, while nights become cooler, with temperatures falling into the mid-teens, however, occasional sharp cold spells can arrive earlier. These do not necessarily mean that winter has fully arrived. Weather conditions such as clear skies can allow the ground to lose heat quickly at night, leading to unusually low temperatures. Stubble-burning-related smog can also affect local weather and visibility during this period.
An example was seen in November 2025, when several parts of Punjab recorded unusually low temperatures. Faridkot recorded a minimum of 6.5°C on November 7, while Amritsar recorded 10.3°C, Ludhiana 13°C and Patiala 13.1°C and the early chill was associated with clear-sky radiational cooling along with the presence of stubble-burning-related smog, such temperatures were unusually low for early November and were not representative of the normal seasonal pattern.
December is when winter conditions become more established across Punjab. Long-term average temperatures show daytime highs falling to around 22–23°C in many parts of the state, while nighttime temperatures commonly reach single digits.
Typical December averages include:
Amritsar: around 22°C maximum and 8°C minimum
Ludhiana: around 22–23°C maximum and 9–10°C minimum
Jalandhar: around 22°C maximum and 8°C minimum
Bathinda: around 23°C maximum and 9°C minimum
The coldest part of the season generally comes between December and January and night temperatures regularly fall into single digits, while fog and cold-wave conditions can become common across Punjab.
January is generally the coldest month, although the intensity of winter can vary from year to year, and the India Meteorological Department's regional climate assessment also shows this variability, during January-February 2025, Punjab experienced temperatures around 1.17°C above the long-term average, indicating that a warmer winter does not change the broader seasonal pattern.
There are also differences between parts of the state. Northwestern and interior districts such as Amritsar, Faridkot and Bathinda can experience colder nights and denser fog compared with the Doaba region around Jalandhar, however, precise city-wise dates for when winter begins cannot be fixed because temperatures depend on individual weather conditions each year, overall, Punjab's winter follows a gradual pattern: cooling begins in November, winter becomes properly established in December, and December-January brings the strongest cold conditions.
