Between December and February, dense fog regularly shuts sections of Pakistan's motorways, usually from before dawn until mid-morning. If you are planning a winter drive, especially an early start north from Lahore or Islamabad, build the fog window into your timing rather than finding out about a closure at the toll plaza.
Which motorways close for fog, and when
Fog closures affect the plains of central and southern Punjab and upper Sindh, not the mountain roads further north, but they sit on the route almost everyone drives to reach them. The sections most often closed in a typical winter are:
- M-2 (Lahore–Islamabad), especially around Pindi Bhattian and Sial Mor
- M-3 (Lahore–Abdul Hakeem)
- M-4 (Pindi Bhattian–Multan, via Faisalabad)
- M-5 (Multan–Sukkur)
- M-11 (Lahore–Sialkot)
In a severe spell, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) has closed all of these on the same morning. Closures are usually measured in hours, not days: a section shut at first light typically reopens by late morning once the sun burns the fog off, though a bad week can bring repeat closures on consecutive days.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Fog season | December to February, worst in late December and January |
| Motorways most affected | M-2, M-3, M-4, M-5, M-11 |
| Typical closure window | Roughly before dawn to 10–11 am |
| NHMP-recommended travel window | About 10 am to 5 or 6 pm |
| How to check | NHMP helpline 130, NHMP social media, PMD forecast |
How to check before you leave
Don't rely on how clear it looks from your own window; fog forms in patches and can be dense 50 kilometres up the road while your city is fine. Before an early winter departure:
- Call the NHMP helpline, 130, a free, round-the-clock number for current road status.
- Check NHMP's official social media accounts, which post closures and reopenings in real time during fog season.
- Look at the Pakistan Meteorological Department's forecast for the corridor you are driving, which flags dense fog conditions the evening before.
If you are travelling with a tour operator or hired driver, ask them to check on the morning of departure rather than assuming the plan made the night before still holds.
Why the safe window matters for a northern trip
Most people driving from Lahore or Islamabad towards Hunza, Skardu or Naran leave before sunrise to make the most of the day. In summer that is good practice. In fog season it is exactly the wrong instinct on the motorway leg, because the worst visibility is between roughly 4 am and 10 am.
A practical approach for a winter departure:
- Delay the start until 8 or 9 am rather than 4 or 5 am, and accept a later arrival at your first stop.
- Check the helpline or NHMP page before you leave the house, not after you're already on the road.
- Keep a buffer day in the plan if the whole trip depends on a single motorway leg, such as a family gathering or a flight connection.
- Consider the GT Road or a later motorway slot as a fallback if your section is closed and you need to keep moving; local traffic police can advise which roads remain open when the motorway is shut.
Driving in fog if you do get caught out
If visibility drops while you're already on the road:
- Slow down well before you think you need to. NHMP advises around 60 km/h or lower in dense fog, far below the motorway's normal limit.
- Use fog lights and low-beam headlights only. High beams reflect off the fog and reduce visibility further.
- Increase your following distance to a four- or five-second gap, since chain-reaction pile-ups are the main danger in fog, not single-vehicle crashes.
- Pull off at a service area or fog camp rather than stop on the carriageway. NHMP sets up fog relief camps in spots such as Lahore, Manga Mandi, Pattoki, Okara, Sahiwal and Ahmedpur Sharqia during the worst weeks.
Planning around it, not just reacting to it
If your trip north falls in December or January, the fog risk sits entirely on the motorway legs in the plains; once you're on the Karakoram Highway or the roads into Kaghan and Naran, the issue becomes snow and cold rather than fog, as our guide to travelling in December sets out. Our guide to when to go and our wider travel guide cover the trade-offs of a winter trip, including which northern roads are open at all in midwinter. For the motorway leg itself, the simplest fix is patience: an hour or two lost to a late start is far cheaper than a morning stuck at a closed toll plaza, or worse, driving through fog that shouldn't be driven through.
Frequently asked questions
Which months have the worst motorway fog in Pakistan?
December and January are the worst, with fog persisting into early February in some years. It is worst in central and southern Punjab and parts of upper Sindh.
How do I find out if a motorway is closed right now?
Call the NHMP helpline on 130, check NHMP's official social media accounts, or look at the Pakistan Meteorological Department's forecast for your route. Don't rely on how the weather looks at your starting point.
What time of day is safest to drive during fog season?
Roughly 10 am to 5 or 6 pm, once the sun has cleared the overnight fog. Early morning departures before dawn carry the highest risk of hitting a closed or near-zero-visibility section.
Do motorway fog closures affect the roads to Hunza, Skardu or Naran?
Not directly. Fog closures happen on the plains motorways in Punjab and Sindh. The mountain roads further north have their own winter issues, mainly snow and cold rather than fog, so check conditions separately for each leg of a winter trip.
How long do fog closures usually last?
Most are measured in hours: a section closed at first light typically reopens by late morning. In a severe spell, several sections can close on the same day, and closures can repeat for a few days in a row.
