The deformation and damage to cold-region rock masses caused by repeated freeze-thaw cycles constitute a pressing forefront issue in need of immediate research and resolution. To investigate the freeze-thaw damage characteristics of fractured rock formations, freeze-thaw cycling and uniaxial compression tests were conducted on bifurcated gray limestone, varying the fracture angles. These experiments yielded the corresponding stress-strain curves and macroscopic failure features, with the utilization of scanning electron microscopy to analyze the fine structural attributes of the fractured surfaces.The experimental results reveal that bifurcated gray limestone exhibits pronounced brittle failure characteristics. Both peak stress and elastic modulus increase with the enlargement of fracture angles but decrease with an increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles. Peak strain increases with the growth of fracture angles and the frequency of freeze-thaw cycles. The predominant macroscopic failure mode primarily entails a cracking pattern, with spalling as a secondary mode. The failure surfaces are closely associated with pre-existing fractures, primarily manifesting as tensile cracks. When the fracture angle is less than 90°, penetrating fractures traverse both pre-existing fractures, whereas at a fracture angle of 90°, the penetrating fractures exclusively follow the pre-existing fracture ①. Notably, the spalling mode exclusively manifests when the fracture angle is less than 90°. Importantly, pre-existing fractures exert minimal influence on the fine structural characteristics of the fracture surfaces. Nevertheless, microscopic crack attributes, including average length, cumulative length, and average width, increase with each successive freeze-thaw cycle. The enlargement of fracture angles serves to mitigate the damage induced by freeze-thaw cycling, thereby enhancing the overall durability of the rock mass. The research outcomes provide significant reference value for cold-region mining engineering operations.