School Holidays: Chandigarh Extends Winter Vacations Until January 17

Due to the ongoing cold and foggy weather, the District Education Office of the Union Territory of Chandigarh has extended the revised school timings and winter vacation for all government, government-aided, and recognised private schools. Schools in the UT will now remain closed until January 17, 2026, according to an official order. The extension follows previous orders issued on January 3 and January 9, 2026, reported ANI.

The order specifies that the same schedule and instructions from the January 3 directive will apply during the extended period. This decision considers the severe winter conditions affecting the region. All heads of government and government-aided schools in Chandigarh have been instructed to ensure strict compliance with

the order. The order, signed by the District Education Officer of UT Chandigarh, was issued on January 12, 2026.

In Punjab, tomorrow is a holiday for Makar Sankranti, so schools will reopen on January 15. While in Delhi, schools will remain closed till January 15 for students from nursery to grade 8 to protect children from health issues and travel difficulties caused by the cold wave and low visibility. Several Delhi schools have informed parents that regular classes will resume on January 16th.

On Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported minimum temperatures of 5 degrees Celsius or lower at 0830 hours IST in several parts of northern India. Patiala recorded a low of 3 degrees Celsius, while Ballowal Saunkri saw temperatures drop to 0 degrees Celsius. The IMD also forecasted dense to very dense fog during the morning hours in parts of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Punjab until January 15, with dense fog expected in isolated pockets in these regions until January 20, 2026.

Additionally, light to moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall and snowfall are likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand from January 16 to 19. Isolated rainfall is anticipated over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and West Uttar Pradesh on January 18 and 19. The IMD advised residents to exercise caution due to the foggy conditions and potential disruptions from precipitation in the hilly areas.