What are frost and ice days? - Rhine-Main’s winters swing from brutal freezes to near-thaws in just five years
The Rhine-Main region has experienced starkly different winters over the decades. Records from the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) show extreme variations in cold snaps, with some seasons far harsher than others. Two winters in particular stand out for their contrasting severity: 1969/70 and 1974/75.
The winter of 1969/70 was exceptionally cold. According to DWD data, the region endured 40 ice days—periods when the maximum daily temperature never rose above freezing. This high number marked it as one of the harshest winters on record.
In contrast, the winter of 1974/75 was unusually mild. The same region recorded just one ice day, a sharp drop from the earlier extreme. The difference highlights how winter conditions can shift dramatically within a few years. The DWD defines an ice day strictly: the entire day’s highest temperature must stay below 0°C. A frost day, however, only requires the lowest temperature to dip below freezing, regardless of daytime highs. These distinctions help meteorologists classify winter severity with precision. Recent forecasts for January 2026 suggest around 9.1 frost days nationwide. But specific figures for Hesse’s ice days this season remain unavailable in current reports.
The two winters demonstrate how variable the region’s climate can be. While 1969/70 brought relentless cold, 1974/75 saw barely any sustained freezing. Such records provide a clear benchmark for comparing past and future winter conditions.
