No maple syrup needed! Ice pancakes form in Denmark

It may not be Pancake Day just yet, but we're already starting to see signs of pancakes in other forms as winter kicks in!

As the video above shows, the deep freeze over parts of Northern Europe in recent days has created special ice called "pancakes" in Denmark. These ones aren't for eating and no amount of maple syrup will help.

Dennis Sonne Mogensen sent us these videos and photos from his walk at Nivå Harbor in Denmark on Wednesday 10th January 2024.

They can form when there is foam on the surface of cold rivers, lakes and oceans. The foam freezes to form ice crystals, and as the current spirals, it causes them to form into a circular disc shape.

Another way they can form is when pieces of ice knock into each other growing and freezing, as the waves don't allow for larger ice sheets to form. The ice can also be caused to rotate by melting water sinking or gases rising. These discs can be quite thin, so often break easily if under pressure.

For such ice pancakes to occur, the temperature must be very low for a long period of time. They are most often found in Russia, further north in Scandinavia, Canada and northern parts of the USA. Denmark can also join the list, with their freezing temperatures lately.

The icy phenomenon can also be found more locally in rivers and lakes across parts of Scotland and Northern England in the depths of winter.

Curious how cold it is elsewhere in Europe? Check out our TemperatureRadar.