The short answer
You need all three layers from December to the end of January. November and February are easier: a shirt is enough in the day, with a light sweater or jacket early in the morning and after dark.
Do not plan around one thick coat. You will be too hot at lunch, and you cannot take half a coat off.
How cold does Delhi get?
These are the normal low and high for each month, from India's weather office.
| Month | Normal low and high | How it feels |
|---|---|---|
| November | 13°C to 28°C | Warm days. Cool after dark. |
| December | 8°C to 23°C | Cold mornings and nights. Mild at noon. |
| January | 7.5°C to 20°C | The coldest month. Some days stay cold all day. |
| February | 11°C to 24°C | Cold early and late. Pleasant in the day. |
Those are averages. Real days swing much more. In January 2026, the Safdarjung weather station in New Delhi recorded 2.9°C on the morning of the 15th. One week later, on the 22nd, the afternoon reached 27.1°C. You can meet both kinds of day on one trip.
Fog changes the day
The weather office counts fog on about 19 days in a normal December and about 22 days in a normal January.
On a clear day the sun warms you by late morning. On a foggy day the sun may come through late, or not at all, and the afternoon stays cold. The weather office's report for January 2026 lists "cold day" conditions on six days of the month.
Look outside before you dress. If you cannot see the building across the road, keep the jacket on all day.
The three layers
- Next to your skin. A T-shirt or a shirt on milder days. In the coldest weeks, from mid-December to late January, a thin thermal top.
- The warm layer. A sweater, a cardigan, a fleece or a sweatshirt.
- The outer layer. A padded jacket, a wool coat or a thick shawl. If you ride a scooter or sit in an open auto rickshaw, pick one that stops the wind.
Add a scarf, and a cap or a hood for early mornings. Wear closed shoes with socks that cover your ankles. Cold air finds the gap between your shoes and your pants.
Dress by the time of day
| When | How it feels | What to wear |
|---|---|---|
| Early morning | The coldest part of the day. Often foggy. | All three layers, a scarf and warm socks. |
| Afternoon, in the sun | Mild. Sometimes warm. | The first two layers. Carry the jacket. |
| After sunset | The cold comes back fast. | Jacket and scarf back on. |
Why it feels cold indoors
In many cold countries you dress for the street and take things off inside, because the buildings are heated. In Delhi that plan does not work.
A news report on Delhi's cold wave of December 2019 made the comparison. Most buildings in European and US cities have central heating, it said, and homes in some of India's coldest cities "are not built for chilly winters".
The cold comes indoors with you. Keep your sweater on inside, and wear warm socks. In an office, keep a shawl or a light jacket at your desk.
Outfits that work
For the office
A shirt, a thin sweater and a blazer. Or a kurta with a cardigan and a shawl. For the hot months, see our guide to office wear in India.
For a day out
Jeans, a T-shirt, a sweater and a light padded jacket that fits in your bag. Take sunglasses, because the afternoon sun is bright.
Choose sneakers or loafers that slip off easily. You take your shoes off at many temples, mosques and gurudwaras, and the stone floors are cold. At Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, for example, you take off your shoes, wash your feet and cover your head. Your scarf can cover your head.
For an evening out or a wedding
For a wedding or a party on an open lawn at night, put the warm layer where nobody sees it. Thermal leggings go under a lehenga or a saree. A thin thermal top goes under a kurta or a shirt. Then add a shawl, a velvet jacket or a long coat on top.
Our guide to wedding guest outfits in India covers each event.
The air in winter
India's health ministry says that in the winter months, air quality in several regions "frequently reaches poor to severe levels". Delhi is one of them. In January 2026, only two days there had an Air Quality Index, or AQI, below 200, by Newslaundry's count.
Check the AQI before a long day outside. The Central Pollution Control Board's Sameer app shows it for each city. For days above 200, the ministry's advice is to skip the outdoor walk in the morning and late evening, to avoid jogging and running, and to consider a close-fitting N95 or N99 mask. It also says that handkerchiefs, scarves and cloth are not effective as masks. A scarf over your nose is not a mask.
This is general information, not medical advice. If you have asthma, or a heart or lung condition, talk to your doctor before you travel.
What to pack for a week in January
- 2 thin thermal tops
- 4 T-shirts or shirts
- 2 sweaters, or 1 sweater and 1 fleece
- 1 padded jacket or wool coat
- 2 pairs of jeans or warm pants
- 1 scarf and 1 cap
- 5 pairs of warm socks
- 1 pair of closed shoes you can walk in all day
- Slippers or thick socks for your room
- Sunglasses, lip balm and moisturizer
- A few N95 masks
For November or February, take a lighter jacket. Our packing guide for a cold trip shows how to fit layers into a small bag.
Let the forecast pick the outfit
Ukti is our app. You take photos of your clothes. Every morning it picks one outfit from your own clothes and tells you why. It can read the weather where you are and pick the outfit for it. Sharing your location is optional.
Do you feel the cold more than other people? Ukti has a setting for that. You can tell it that you feel colder, or warmer, than the forecast.
Where the facts come from, read on 12 October 2026. Temperatures and fog days: the India Meteorological Department's climate table for New Delhi (Safdarjung), 1991 to 2020, rounded. The January 2026 readings, the cold days and the record low: the department's Monthly Weather Report of Delhi for January 2026. Air and masks: the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's Advisory on Air Pollution and Health, dated 1 November 2025 (a scanned PDF of 17 MB). The count of days in January 2026: Newslaundry, 9 February 2026. Heating: The Financial Express, Dhaka, "Indian capital reels from coldest day in more than a century", 31 December 2019. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib: History Hit.
