CHANDIGARH: The first rain of the winter season plunged the maximum temperature by nearly 8 degrees to register at 16.3 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.The maximum temperature was 6 degrees below normal, the first time it dropped this low in December. On Tuesday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 23.4 degrees Celsius, 1 degree above normal.Five mm of rainfall was recorded at the Sector 38 observatory and 8mm at the airport observatory.On the other hand, the minimum temperature was recorded higher at 12.1 degrees Celsius, 5 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 9.6 degrees, 3 degrees above normal."It can be said that it was one of the coldest days of December but the month has seen even colder days in the past," said Surender Paul, director, Chandigarh meteorological department.If weathermen are to be believed, no rain is expected in the coming days. Paul said, "The rainfall was due to snowfall in the upper regions and western disturbances. The sky will be clear from Friday. On Thursday, the sky will be partly cloudy. Weather will be dry. Nights will get colder, while days will become warmer once the sun shines."The chill brought smiles on the faces of a few. Some residents, especially youngsters, left for Shimla to witness the first snowfall of this season. Manjusha Joel, a student of MA English in Panjab University , said, "We have exams going on but still we managed to make the trip. We left around 7.30am after receiving news of snow in Shimla." On Thursday, the sky is expected to be partly cloudy and mist and shallow fog is expected to cover Tricity. The maximum temperature would be around 20 degrees Celsius, while the minimum would drop to 8 degrees Celsius.

Stay updated with all the Chandigarh Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.