Northern India is currently in the grip of a severe and prolonged cold wave, with biting temperatures and dense fog disrupting daily life across multiple states. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has confirmed that cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are persisting over regions including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Minimum temperatures have plummeted significantly below normal, with Delhi recording lows around 3.8 degrees Celsius and some areas in Haryana experiencing temperatures as low as 0.5 degrees Celsius. Accompanying the cold is widespread dense to very dense fog, particularly affecting the Indo-Gangetic Plain from Pakistan to Bangladesh, as observed by NASA Earth Observatory. This fog has severely reduced visibility, leading to major disruptions in road, rail, and air traffic across affected states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. For instance, visibility at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi dropped to as low as 50 meters. In Kashmir, a prominent part of northern India, the sub-zero temperatures have led to the partial freezing of iconic water bodies, including parts of Dal Lake and several other lakes in the Valley. This phenomenon is occurring during 'Chilla-i-Kalan,' a 40-day period of intense cold in Kashmir. Srinagar, for example, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius. The IMD has issued warnings for the persistence of these harsh conditions, including cold wave, severe cold wave, and dense fog, for the coming days, with a new Western Disturbance expected to bring snowfall to the mountains and potentially some rain to the northern plains later in the week. Furthermore, air quality in Delhi and surrounding regions has remained in the 'very poor' category, exacerbating the challenges faced by residents.