You may have noticed that it is pretty chilly today. Well, last night (Monday, January 20), the first moderate frost of this Dutch winter was measured. In Maastricht, the temperature fell to -5,4C. It’s pretty late to be having the first moderate frost of the winter, but not a record. Usually, the first moderate frost is measured at the end of November or beginning of December.
A moderate frost occurs when the temperature falls to between -5C and -10C. A light frost is when the temperature is between 0 and -5C. We’ve had a few light frosts, but up until now, no moderate frost. This is not a record, but it is unusual, as we usually experience a moderate frost at least a month earlier than we have now. The last moderate frost in the Netherlands was quite a while ago, namely on January 31, 2019! Last winter, the first moderate frost occurred on November 24, 2018.
Whilst the temperature may have gotten pretty low, fans of the Elfstedentocht should not hold out much hope. They’ll have to pray to the weather gods if they want to be able to skate the famous 11 Cities Tour. It’s not looking good for those out there wanting to skate on the canals or natural ice again either. There isn’t significant ice growth. You’ll just have to make do with skating at one of the many ice rinks in the Netherlands.
In the coming period, it may freeze a little at night, but it’s not really going to get any colder. In fact, this weekend, temperatures may even get up to 10C. This week, temperatures between 4C to 8C are predicted, and next week, we can expect even warmer temperatures, up to 11C.