“A Western Disturbance has affected the state from Friday night and snow and rain can be expected at isolated places and weather would remain dry from December 24,” Director of Shimla Meteorological Office Surinder Paul told news agency PTI.

As per Paul, the possibility of White Christmas in Shimla city is bleak, however, higher reaches of Shimla and the adjoining Kinnaur district could experience snowfall.

As per the Met Department, under the influence of Western Disturbance, light to moderate rainfall is likely in isolated parts of the Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Shimla and Sirmaur with the possibility of snowfall in higher reaches of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur districts today.

Speaking of night temperatures, Samdho in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest, recording a low of minus 0.1 degree Celsius. The maximum temperatures were also above normal and Dhaulakuan in Sirmaur was the hottest during the day with a high of 22.8 degrees Celsius.

Cold tightens its grip over North India

The cold tightened its hold in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, with Noida, Aligarh and Ghaziabad experiencing dense fog as the mercury slipped further. The air quality in the national capital worsened to severe category with AQI recording 447. A total of 11 international flights and 5 domestic flights to and from the airport were delayed today.

Speaking of fog predictions, dense to very dense fog conditions have been predicted at isolated pockets of Punjab during the next four days. As per IMD, dense fog conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Haryana on 24th and 25th December; northwest Rajasthan on 24th December; northwest Uttar Pradesh from 25th-27th December; Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Odisha 23rd and 24th December.