The variation in the number of extreme low‐temperature days (NELD) during winter over China is examined. The NELD mainly has a significant decreasing trend across China. The leading NELD empirical orthogonal function (EOF) mode also shows consistent change characteristics over China, and a Mann–Kendall (MK) test of its time coefficients indicates that the NELD abruptly changed in approximately 1980. The impact of sea ice concentrations in the Arctic Ocean on the NELD is investigated. Sea ice concentration declines in the Barents Sea and the sea east of Greenland have significant negative effects on the NELD. Sea surface temperatures in these regions are negatively correlated with the NELD. The study analyses the influence mechanism by researching the composite atmosphere variable anomalies between years with below‐normal NELD and those with above‐normal NELD.

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