The temperature dependence of the laser-induced damage threshold on optical coatings was studied in detail for laser pulses from 123 K to 473 K at different temperature. For pulses longer than a few picoseconds, the laser-induced damage threshold of coated substrates increased with decreasing temperature. This temperature dependence was reversed for pulses shorter than a few picoseconds. We describe the physics models to explain the observed scaling. The electron avalanche is essential to explain the differences in the temperature dependence. © 2013 Optical Society of America.