Chandigarh, Dec. 3 -- A drop from 7.8degC to 6.6degC on Tuesday marked the first time this season that the minimum temperature fell below 7 degrees, signalling the arrival of a deeper winter chill in the region. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the drop is largely due to cold north-western winds blowing into the region, which have intensified over the past few days. Officials said the temperature is expected to fall even further as these winds continue to dominate local weather patterns. This November has also stood out as significantly colder than previous years. IMD records show that November nights in 2025 were the coldest in 14 years. The combination of dry weather and unusually clean air has played an important role in driving the night-time temperatures down, making the month feel colder overall. Explaining the trend, IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said, "This is one of the impacts of having clean air throughout the month. With foggy conditions or smog, night temperatures usually rise, which is what had happened in November in the past years. However, this time, due to factors like unabated north-westerly winds, the air quality has been better and nights have been colder." According to the latest bulletin of the CPCB, the city's AQI stood at 143-still moderate, but higher than earlier in the week and considerably cleaner than the poor-category readings above 200 that were once typical for November. With December now underway, IMD officials say the city is expected to continue experiencing colder than usual nights as winter strengthens its grip over the region....