Abstract: Based on daily minimum temperature data of 23 meteorological observation stations during 1981 to 2010 in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the characteristics of frost scope, frequency, intensity and hazard risk was analyzed by using mathematical statistics and spatial analysis methods. The results showed that the frost scope became narrow in last 30 years, and slight frost scope was significantly larger than that of moderate and severe frost, the slight frost frequency increased generally, and had no obvious differences in different areas, the frequency of moderate and severe frost decreased and space differences were significant. Frost strength was obviously regional, in which strength indices of slight frost and moderate frost were smaller in the north central, larger in the south and north, and strength indices of the severe frost were generally small. Frost hazard risk was generally higher in the south than in the north, the frost hazard risk was the highest in Longde and Xingren region, and it was the lowest in the north and central region. The results could provide an important basis for regional disaster prevention and mitigation.

Key words: Ningxia, Frost, Intensity, Frequency, Frost hazard risk