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How many frost days does Denmark have in a year?

Frost is becoming less common in Denmark.

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Short answer

A frost day is a day when the lowest temperature falls below 0 °C. In 1997–2026 Denmark had under 70 frost days a year on average, against more than 100 a year in 1874–1903. A normal winter (1991–2020) has about 42,6 frost days: 12,2 in December, 15,3 in January and 14,8 in February. The winter of 2025–2026 was colder than usual with 52 frost days.

Weather and seasons

Why

  1. Frost days are counted by the share of the country that drops below 0 °C.
  2. If half the country has frost, it counts as 0,5 frost days.
  3. Milder winters have cut the number of frost days over the last 150 years.

Details

An ice day is stricter: the temperature stays at or below 0 °C all day, and winter 2025–2026 had 25 of them.

Tip

Expect icy pavements in the morning on frost days, even if the afternoon is above zero.

What may differ

By the end of the century, the average is projected to fall to about 47 frost days a year under a medium-high emissions scenario.

Common misconception

A frost day means it is below zero all day.

What actually happens

A frost day only needs the lowest temperature to dip below 0 °C, often just at night.

People also ask

  • How cold does it get in Denmark in winter?
  • Is the ice safe on the Copenhagen lakes?
  • Does it snow in Denmark?

Sources

This answer is for reference only. Weather varies a lot from year to year, so check the DMI forecast before you travel.

Weather and seasons
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