islagt

Islagt is a Norwegian (and Danish) adjective meaning ice-covered or ice-laden, used to describe surfaces that are coated with ice. It is commonly employed in meteorology, transport reporting, and everyday language when referring to freezing conditions that affect safety and accessibility. Surfaces that can be described as islagt include roads, sidewalks, harbor approaches, lakes, and rooftops during cold weather.

The word is formed from is, meaning ice, and lagt, the past participle of legge, meaning to lay. Thus islagt literally means ice laid on (top of) something and has been adopted to denote a surface coated by ice.

In usage, islagt denotes a state rather than a process; it indicates risk and may trigger maintenance actions such as gritting or plowing. It appears in weather summaries, traffic advisories, and local news reporting in regions with freezing winters. The term is most common in Norwegian, with Danish usage and Swedish equivalents varying by region and formality.

Related terms include frost, is-dekket, and brøyting, describing ice, ice cover, and snow clearance respectively. Islagt conditions may persist with fluctuating temperatures, making surfaces slick despite visible thaw or sun exposure.

Notable considerations include the potential for slip-and-fall hazards on sidewalks and the need for precautions for cyclists and motorists. In maritime contexts, islagt waters can affect navigation and docking operations.