PATNA, Jan. 4 -- A thick layer of fog has descended over Bihar, shrouding the state in a veil that kept the sun hidden from view throughout the day and created a drizzling-like haze in the early morning hours. The prevailing cold wave conditions has disrupted life, with residents preferring indoors due to biting chill while woes of those travelling have compounded owing to poor visibility. At Patna junction and at other important stations like Danapur, Gaya and Rajendra Nagar, trains crawled along tracks amid near-zero visibility, forcing railway officials to slash speeds for safety. Among the hardest hit were major routes linking Patna with Delhi, Howrah, Gaya and Ranchi with a staggering 83 trains delayed by anywhere from one to six hours. Prominent trains that suffered delays included Patna-Delhi Rajdhani Express, which chugged in about an hour late; the Patna-Delhi Amrit Bharat Express, delayed by roughly 2.5 hours; the Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani, running two hours behind; the Patna-Delhi Sampoorna Kranti Express, off by 1.5 hours; and the Prayagraj-Delhi Humsafar Express, also lagging by 2.5 hours. At least 28 long-distance trains bound for Patna arrived 5 to 6 hours late, with passengers of premium trains like Tejas Rajdhani and Vaishali Express on Bihar lines feeling the brunt. The East Central Railway had already cancelled 24 pairs of trains from January through March 2026 in anticipation of such foggy spells, but Saturday's chaos underscored the challenges for those still in operation. Temperatures in Patna dipped to a low of 9degC and peaked at 16degC, prompting most folks to hunker down indoors. Similar shivers gripped other areas: Gaya ranged from 10degC to 21degC, Kishanganj hit a high of about 24degC, and Sabour in Bhagalpur district logged the state's coldest spot at 6.4degC. Visibility cratered to just 50 meters in Forbesganj, Araria district, turning commutes into a nerve-wracking ordeal. In a bid to ease the hardship, the district administration in Patna set up bonfires at various spots across the capital, offering a flicker of warmth for those braving the outdoors. The district magistrate of Patna issued an order late on Saturday, asking all schools to suspend classes and revise timings for teaching in upper classes due to extreme cold conditions. As per the order, all classes up to Class 8 will remain suspended from January 4 to January 8. However, Class 9 and above classes will operate between 10:30am and 3:30pm....