Objective To investigate the effect of winter soil freezing on soil erodibility and anti-erodibility in the Yellow River section of the Ulan Buh Desert.Methods Particle size screening experiments were conducted on dry, wet, and frozen sand on the windward slope of mobile dunes, along with shear strength tests before and after freezing.Results Sand particle sizes at three positions on the dunes increased due to the bonding effect of water. The particle size peak shifted from 0.15—0.2 mm to 0.3—0.355 mm, with approximately 35.12% of fine sand particles bonding to form larger, medium sand particles. After freezing, very coarse sand emerged, and the particle size peak shifted to 0.5—0.6 mm. Sand particles bonded and coarsened, forming coarse and very coarse sand (52.02%). The proportion of highly erodible particles decreased to 23%—36%, while moderately erodible particles increased to 53%—63%, and hard-to-erode particles increased to 2%—17%. As soil moisture in the dunes increased, the cohesion of frozen soil significantly increased (p < 0.05), along with shear strength and erosion resistance (p < 0.01). Freezing coarsened sand bonds in dune soil, increasing the proportion of moderately and hard-to-erode particles (up to 70%), shear strength by 0.14%—13.07%, and erosion resistance by 0.6%—2.2%. Freezing could effectively improve the corrosion resistance of sand dune soil and inhibit wind erosion.Conclusion The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the wind erosion resistance of dune wind erosion "bare spot" in freezing period.