Dry ice is extremely cold: its surface temperature is about −78.5 °C (−109.3 °F), which is far below the freezing point of water.

How cold is dry ice, really?

If you imagine a regular home freezer at around −18 °C (0 °F), dry ice is more than 60 °C colder than that. At normal atmospheric pressure, it does not melt into a liquid; instead, it sublimates —it goes straight from solid carbon dioxide to carbon dioxide gas at about −78.5 °C.

Because of this, touching dry ice with bare skin can cause frostbite-like injury in seconds, much like touching something superheated but in the opposite temperature extreme.

Quick safety scoop

  • Never touch dry ice directly with bare hands; use insulated gloves or tongs.
  • Do not store it in airtight containers, because the gas buildup can cause the container to burst.
  • Use it only in well‑ventilated areas so carbon dioxide gas does not accumulate and displace oxygen.

Why people use something this cold

Even though it is dangerously cold to touch, that same property makes dry ice very useful for:

  • Keeping food and medical supplies frozen during shipping.
  • Creating dense “fog” effects for events, theater, and videos because the very cold gas hugs the ground when released into warmer, humid air.

In short: when people ask “how cold is dry ice,” the practical answer is “cold enough to cause instant frostbite, so handle it with serious respect.”

TL;DR: Dry ice is about −78.5 °C (−109.3 °F), much colder than a freezer, can burn your skin from the cold, and must be handled with gloves and good ventilation.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.