Darjeeling misses winter brrr this year, warmth prevails over chills in hilly region
Telegraph | 18 February 2026
Darjeeling’s famous winter bite went missing this season, with temperatures hovering around 3 degrees Celsius above average.
Gopi Nath Raha, the head of the India Meteorological Department (Gangtok), said that temperatures remained higher in Darjeeling this winter.
“The average minimum and average maximum temperatures in Darjeeling remained higher for both the months January and February this year,” Raha told The Telegraph.
Average or mean temperatures provide a general feel of the season.
According to figures shared by IMD (Gangtok), the average minimum temperature in Darjeeling for the month of January was 3 degrees Celsius. The normal average minimum temperature of Darjeeling is 1.7 degrees Celsius.
Similarly, the average minimum temperature for Darjeeling in February until Tuesday was 4.5 degree Celsius. The normal average minimum temperature in this month is 3.1 degrees Celsius.
A similar trend was recorded with regarded to maximum temperatures.
The mean maximum temperature recorded in Darjeeling for January was 14.4 degrees Celsius, over three notches higher than the average normal value of 11.1.
Similarly, for February, the average maximum temperature till date is 15.8 degrees Celsius against an average value of 12.4.
January is considered the coldest month in Darjeeling. Historically, the hill town has recorded snowfall even in February.
Data published by the Darjeeling district administration suggest that the lowest temperature ever recorded in Darjeeling is minus 5 degrees Celsius on February 11, 1905.
Local reisdents agree that winters have been warm and sunny this year compared to previous years.
“We hardly experienced condensed breath in Darjeeling this winter. We also did not need to wear gloves,” said Bimal Giri, a businessman from Darjeeling.
In cold temperatures, one witnesses condensed breath when warm human breath cools rapidly in the cold outside air.
Weather experts, however, said that it was too early to indicate that winters in Darjeeling have become significantly warmer because of climate change.
“We need to analyse data over a period of years to affirmatively make such a statement. This could be a one-off warm year,” said Raha, who, however, added that Western Disturbance has not been favorable for this region this year.
Western Disturbances are cyclonic storms originating over the Mediterranean region which are crucial for winter precipitation and snow across the Himalayas and north India.
Negligible Western Disturbance and lack of major cyclonic activity in the Bay of Bengal have ensured sparse rainfall in the region. Darjeeling recorded a rainfall deficit of 98 per cent from January till date.