Claim: Lahore will receive snowfall during an upcoming cold spell, with some alleging sub-zero temperatures and “several inches” of snow between 16 January to 25 January 2026.
Fact: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has dismissed viral claims of record-breaking cold and snowfall in Pakistan, and it has previously said that rumours about snowfall in the plains of Punjab are baseless. Official updates do not indicate snowfall in Lahore, and such posts typically rely on unverified “model” projections, or recycled visuals from northern areas, rather than an official forecast or warning.
A Facebook post, shared on 11 January 2026, made a “15-day long-range weather forecast,” alleging that Lahore could receive up to five inches of snowfall during an upcoming cold spell. The post further claimed that temperatures in the city could drop to between −2°C and −4°C, and described the event as Lahore’s first snowfall since 1878 without citing any official forecast or warning from the Pakistan Meteorological Department
Two Instagram posts also claimed that Lahore could witness an “extremely rare snowfall” later in the month of January, and they linked the possibility to “long-range weather models” and an “intense cold wave”.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check suspected the claim as it did not cite an official PMD forecast or a credible advisory supporting those figures. Therefore, we checked official weather updates and advisories issued for Punjab between the dates of 16 January and 25 January. These updates did not forecast snowfall for Lahore. Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) dismissed the viral claims of an “extreme cold wave” repeating after a century. It clarified that there was no likelihood of heavy rainfall or snowfall in Lahore and other plains of Punjab during the dates cited in the viral posts. Furthermore, the authority urged the public “to rely only on PMD’s official forecasts, warnings, and advisories and to avoid sharing unverified weather information that may cause unnecessary concern.”.
“Lahore will get snowfall (16–25 Jan)” — FALSE
The posts rely on a common misconception: they treat long-range model output, and private weather-page graphics, as confirmed forecasts. Long-range projections often change, and they do not amount to an official warning. In addition, the specific claims in these posts, including “five inches of snowfall” and “first since 1878”, lack a verifiable source and do not appear in official advisories for Lahore.This fact-check does not evaluate the historical claim about snowfall in 1878, focusing instead on the absence of any official snowfall forecast for Lahore.
Considering that official updates did not forecast snowfall in Lahore, and the posts depend on speculative model forecasts without citing any source, the claim that Lahore will receive snowfall between the dates of 16 to 25 January is false.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found that the claim has been shared on Facebook here, here and here.
On Instagram, it was shared here, here, and here. On X, it was shared here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion:
The PMD has not forecast snowfall in Lahore and has dismissed the viral “extreme cold wave” claims. The post in the claim relies on speculative long-range model projections rather than official advisories and does not substantiate its figures with any source.