Record heat as the Netherlands marks 28 years without an Elfstedentocht

The Netherlands has now gone 28 consecutive winters without an Elfstedentocht, extending the longest drought in the event’s history. Meanwhile, an unseasonably warm February day shattered temperature records, raising further concerns about the impact of climate change on the country’s winter traditions.

The last Elfstedentocht, a grueling 200-kilometer ice-skating marathon through Friesland’s eleven cities, took place on Jan. 4, 1997. The last serious consideration for holding the event came in February 2012, but warm temperatures arrived too soon, preventing the ice from reaching the required thickness.

As of Saturday, it has been exactly 10,276 days since the last race. Before this, the longest period without an Elfstedentocht was from 1963 to 1985, a span of 21 winters. “We are now at 28 winters without a race, and there’s no indication that will change soon,” meteorologists at Weerplaza reported.

This winter has been slightly colder than average, with a mean temperature of 3.9 degrees compared to the usual 4.2 degrees. However, it was not cold enough for natural ice to form on a large scale. Skaters were limited to artificial rinks and a few flooded fields in the northeast.

“The climate is warming, and cold winters are becoming a rarity in the Netherlands,” Weerplaza meteorologists stated. Since the 1960s, the country’s average winter temperature has risen by two degrees. The current statistical chance of an Elfstedentocht is once every 12 years, but if global warming continues at its current pace, that probability could shrink to once every 20 years by 2050.

Although brief cold spells still occur, they are less intense than in previous decades. In February 2021, large lakes such as Loosdrecht briefly froze over, but even during cold snaps, the air masses from the north and east are now reportedly significantly warmer than in the past.

Record-breaking February heat

While hopes for a return of the Elfstedentocht remain uncertain, the country is experiencing increasingly warm winters. On Friday, the Netherlands recorded its warmest Feb. 21 in history, with temperatures reaching 17.9 degrees in De Bilt, surpassing the 2021 record of 16.9 degrees.

Eindhoven recorded 18.8 degrees, also breaking the previous record of 18.5 degrees set in 2021. The highest temperature of the day was registered in Woensdrecht, where the mercury climbed to 19.3 degrees.

“It’s extraordinary to see temperatures this high in February,” Weeronline reported. “This type of early warmth is consistent with long-term warming trends.”