Officially, a Russian research station located in Vostok, Antarctica recorded the lowest ever temperature on July 21, 1983. The coldest temperature as read by a scientific thermometer at the location was −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F). Vostok is in the Guinness Book of World Records for attaining the lowest natural temperature ever directly recorded at ground level on Earth.
According to a new satellite reading in August 2010, Dome Fiji Ridge, Antarctica recorded the coldest temperature at −94.7 °C (−135.8 °F). However, this new reading will not be included in the Guinness Book of World Records because these were satellite measured, not from thermometers. Which are the other coldest places in the world? Let’s look at the top ten coldest places in the world.
Check out the list of top 10 coldest places in the world (inclusive of satellite measured and thermometer measured):
10. Snag, Canada −63 °C
Snag, Yukon recorded the coldest ever temperature in Canada in 1947. The Siberian air that blew to this small abandoned village saw freezing temperatures of −62.8 °C. The temperature recorded on Feb 3, 1947 is considered the coldest ever in the country. Google dedicated a doodle to the freezing town. This small village is located off the Alaska Highway. A bowl-shaped valley engulfs the village. In 1947, the population of only 10 inhabited this frigid place on earth.
9. North Ice, Greenland −66.1 °C
North Ice was a research station of British North Greenland Expedition on the inland ice of Greenland. The expedition lasted from 1952 to 1954. On 9 January 1954, North Ice recorded the lowest temperature ever in North America with −66.1 °C (−87.0 °F).
8. Klinck Research Station, Greenland −69.4 °C
The record temperature of −69.7 °C was measured at Klinck Research Station, Greenland that broke the record of North Ice. The scientists from the University of Wisconsin measured the temperature at Klinck Research Station using an automatic thermometer on December 22, 1991. The Klinck Research Station is located within the Arctic Circle at an elevation of 10,187 feet. Two different places from within the Greenland reached the spot of top ten coldest places on Earth.
7. Verkhoyansk, Russia −69.8 °C
The town of Verkhoyansk is located in Verkhoyansky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, near the Arctic Circle. The town holds the Guinness World Record for greatest temperature range of 105 °C (189 °F) on Earth. In February 1892, a record temperature of −69.8 °C (−93.6 °F) recorded at this place made it as one of the coldest places on the planet. The town has witnessed temperatures below −60 °C multiple times.
6. Oymyakom, Russia −71.2 °C
Oymyakom is the coldest inhabited place in the world. Oymyakom’s extreme cold weather is comparable to Verkhoyansk. Oymyakom is a rural locality in Oymyakonsky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia. In 1924, the place recorded a temperature of −71.2 °C (−96 °F) and in 1933 the place recorded −67.8 °C (−90 °F). This is considered as the lowest ever recorded temperature in a habitat center that has a population of around 500.
5. Mount McKinley, Alaska −73.8 °C
Denali is the other name of Mount McKinley which is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet (6,190 m) above sea level. Denali is the third most prominent and third most isolated peak only after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. Located in the Alaskan range, in the interior of the U.S. state of Alaska, the mountain range experiences extreme cold weather round the year. December 1, 2003, the place measured a temperature of −59.7 °C (−75.5 °F). The lowest ever recorded temperature at this place was −73.8 °C (−100 °F).
4. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station −82 °C
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is a United States scientific research station at the Geographic South Pole. The original Amundsen–Scott Station built by the United States government during November 1956 is a part of its commitment to the scientific goals of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), an international effort lasting from January 1957 through June 1958, to study, among other things, the geophysics of the Polar Regions. The southernmost habitation on Earth experiences one extremely long “day” and one extremely long “night” each year. The recorded temperature in the region varies between −12.3 °C (9.9 °F) and −82.8 °C (−117.0 °F).
3. Dome A, Antarctic Plateau −82.5 °C
Dome A or Dome Argus is located on the massive East Antarctic Ice Sheet and is the highest ice feature of Antarctica. With temperatures nearing −90 °C (−130 °F) during certain winters, Dome Argus is considered as one of the coldest naturally occurring place on Earth. As of 28 September 2010, the coldest temperature recorded by thermometer at this place is −82.5 °C (−116.5 °F). Almost every winter Dome A records temperatures below −80 °C. Also, the driest location in the world receives 1 to 3 cm snow every year. Satellite readings of the location’s temperature had previously been close to −90 °C.
2. Vostok Research Station, Russia −89.2 °C
Vostok Station, built by the Soviet Union in 1957 lies at the southern Pole of Cold in Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica. The Russian research station conducts researches that include ice core drilling and magnetometry. Vostok, Antarctica recorded the lowest temperature ever in the world on July 21, 1983. The lowest reliably measured temperature on Earth of −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) was in Vostok on 21 July 1983 at 05:45 Moscow Time, which was 07:45 for Vostok’s time zone, and 01:45 UTC. This beat the station’s former record of −88.3 °C (−126.9 °F) on 24 August 1960.
1. Dome Fuji Ridge, East Antarctic Plateau −94.7 °C
A NASA satellite measured the coldest ever temperature on the surface of Earth in Dome Fuji, East Antarctica on Aug 2010. Dome Fuji Station is a Japanese research station on the eastern part of Queen Maud Land. Also, known as Dome F or Valkyrie Dome, the location experiences extreme weather conditions throughout the year. Satellite measurements of the surface temperature of Antarctica, taken between 1982 and 2013, found a coldest temperature of −93.2 °C (−135.8 °F) on 10 August 2010.
What are the coldest places on Earth? The world is full of extreme climates that make it difficult for human habitation. There are many extreme places in the world, some of them are more extreme than others. Also, there are hottest places on earth as well as the coldest. But, here we discuses only the places with the lowest temperature on earth. The top 10 most freezing, coldest places in the world.
How cold is the coldest place on Earth? The coldest temperature ever recorded was minus 128.6 degrees F in at the Russian research station in Vostok, Antarctica, on July 21, 1983. While none of these towns or cities gets that cold, some get frighteningly close to it. Here we present the top 10 of the coldest places in the world. These are places where recorded temperatures are very low.
10. Rogers Pass, Montana, USA
Where are the coldest places in America? Rogers Pass located 5,610 feet above sea level is the second coldest location in U.S.. It is located on the continental divide in the U.S. state of Montana. Rogers Pass is considered the best route between the cities of Great Falls and Missoula, Montana. The Pass is the location of the coldest temperature ever recorded in USA outside of Alaska. On January 20, 1954, a low temperature of −70 °F (−57 °C) was recorded during a severe cold wave.
See also; America’s top 10 tourist attractions.
9. Fort Selkirk, Yukon, Canada
Fort Selkirk is a former trading post on the Yukon River at the confluence of the Pelly River in Canada’s Yukon. In 1950 this place was deserted because of extreme cold conditions. It is now inhabited again but is only accessible. There is no road access. Most visitors get there by boat or a plane. The coldest month is January and the lowest temperature is -74 °F. See also; 10 of the Most Dangerous but Spectacular Train Routes in the World.
See also; Top 10 best places to visit in Canada.
8. Prospect Creek, Alaska, USA
Prospect Creek was named the coldest place in the United States. It is a very small settlement approximately 180 miles north of present day Fairbanks and 25 miles southeast of present day Bettles, Alaska. This place has a sub-arctic sort of weather which means that winters last for a long period of time and summers are very short. Weather conditions are even more severe now so the area is less crowded now. The record low temperature of −80 °F (−62 °C) was recorded.
Located at 643 feet (196 m) above sea level, Prospect Creek was home to numerous mining expeditions. It was also the camp for the building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). It is at number eight in the list of coldest places on earth.
7. Snag, Yukon, Canada
Snag is a village with lowest temperature on earth. It is at number seven in the top 10 coldest places list. The village of Snag located on a small, dry-weather sideroad off the Alaska Highway 25 km south of Beaver Creek, Yukon, Canada. It is located in a bowl-shaped valley of the White River. The weather is chilly and freezing, the coldest month is January and the lowest temperature recorded is −63.0 °C (−81.4 °F).
As of 1947, the Snag village has a total population of 10 First Nation people and 4 traders. An additional staff of 20 airport personnel including meteorologists, radio operators, aircraft maintenance men, who lived at the airport barracks.
6. Eismitte, Greenland
The name Eismitte means Ice-Center in German. This place is on the interior Arctic side of Greenland. It has ice everywhere and therefore it is rightfully called Mid-Ice or Center-Ice. The coldest temperature recorded during the expedition was −64.9 °C (−85 °F).
Eismitte is one of the coldest places in the Northern Hemisphere. During the expedition, the coldest temperature recorded was −64.9 °C (−85 °F) on March, while the warmest temperature recorded was −1.8 °C (28.8 °F) on July. The warmest month noted was July, −12.2 °C (10 °F), while the coldest month, February, averaged −47.2 °C (−53 °F). Interestingly, the sun does not set between May 13 and July 30 each year. Also, between November 23 and January 20, the sun does not rise .
5. North Ice, Greenland
Located on the inland ice of Greenland. The North Ice was a research station of the British North Greenland Expedition. This is at No. 5 in the list of coldest places in the world. The lowest temperatures recorded are -86.8 °F and -66°C . At an altitude of 2,341 meters (7,680 feet) above sea level, it was once the name of a research station. It’s name contrasts to the former British South Ice station in Antarctica.
4. Verkhoyansk, Russia
What is the coldest country in the world? Of-course it’s Russia. Verkhoyansk is second coldest place in Russia. This town in Sakha Republic, Russia is notable chiefly places for its exceptionally low winter temperatures and some of the greatest temperature differences between summer and winter on Earth. Verkhoyansk is one of the places considered the northern Pole of Cold. The lowest temperature recorded there, in February 1892, was −69.8 °C (−93.6 °F).
With a total population of 1,311, the town is home to the Pole of Cold Museum. It also has an airport, a river port, a fur-collecting depot, and the center of a reindeer-raising area. Only Antarctica has recorded lower temperatures than Oymyakon or Verkhoyansk. Verkhoyansk holds the Guinness world record for the greatest temperature range on Earth: 105 °C (189 °F).
3. Oymyakon, Russia
Which town is the coldest in the world? With an extreme subarctic climate, Oymyakon is known as the coldest place in the world. It also known as one of the candidates for the Northern Pole of Cold, the other being the Verkhoyansk. The ground there is permanently frozen. In 1924, Russian scientist Sergey Obrychev registered the lowest temperature −71.2 °C (−96.2 °F) recorded at Oymyakon’s weather station. This is the lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location on Earth. Only Antarctica has recorded lower official temperatures (−128.6 °F), recorded at Vostok Station on 21 July 1983.
Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk are the only two permanently inhabited places in the world that have recorded temperatures below −60.0 °C (−76 °F) for every day in January. Sometimes the average minimum temperature in Oymyakon remains below −50 °C (−58 °F), for December, January and February. Also, sometimes summer can also be quite cold, but June and July are the only months where temperature has never dropped below −10 °C (14 °F).
2. Plateau Station, Antarctica
After Vostok, this is second most coldest place on earth. Plateau Station, an inactive American research and Queen Maud Land traverse support base on the central Antarctic Plateau. The coldest month being July, the lowest naturally recorded temperature was -123.1 on the Fahrenheit scale.
Plateau Station has ice cap climate. Also, it is one of the coldest places on earth. The lowest temperature recorded there on on July 20, 1968, was -123.1 °F (-86.2 °C). In addition, it has cold and brief summers, and long, dark and frigid winters.
See also; Top 10 no go areas in the world.
1. Vostok, Antarctica
Is Antarctica one of the coldest place on Earth? Sure it is one of them, and Vostok station is just an example with lowest temperature on earth. Vostok Station is a Russian Antarctic research station. This station is at the southern Pole of Cold. It’s lies at the center of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The coldest month in Vostok is August where the the lowest reliably measured natural temperature on Earth is −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F). It is the coldest place in the world right now.
The most interesting thing about Vostok, it is one of the sunniest places on Earth. As compare to the sunniest places of South Africa, there are more hours of sunshine per year despite having no sunshine at all from May to August. The station has highest sunshine in December, 22.9 hours daily. In contrast, it has the lowest sunshine, with maximum of 0 hours of sunshine per month during polar night.
FAQ: Coldest Places on Earth.
Where are the coldest places on Earth? The above list describes top 10 locations with lowest temperature ever recorded.
Which city is the coldest in the world? Yakutsk, he capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia is the coldest city in the world with an average winter temperature −34 °C (−30 °F).
What is the coldest country in the world? Russia (Oymyakon) – with the −128.6 °F, lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location.
Have you ever wondered what is the coldest place in the world?
In fact, probably everyone knows that ice continent of Antarctica is the coldest and is unrivaled when it comes to subzero temperatures.
But what is the coldest inhabited place in the world?
The coldest place outside Antarctica?
More from Weather:
- What Country has the Most Diverse Climate?
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Well, very simple.
Everyone at least has heard about the legendary cold that swoop the largest country in the world – Russia – every winter.
Even in “hot” cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg in January and February thermometers sometimes show 2-3 tenths below freezing.
And this is just nothing.
If you wish to see the real frosts you have to look outside Europe – within the Asian continent.
In the vicinity of Oymyakon, Yakutia was measured the lowest temperature of our planet outside of Antarctica (-71.2) °C.
Oymyakon is considered to be a pole of cold in the northern hemisphere.
In the far east of Siberia, about 450 km from the shores of the Okhotsk Sea and hundreds of miles from major cities in the heart of the Republic of Yakutia there is a small village named Oymyakon.
There are about 500 people who have adapted to some of the most extreme living conditions that one could imagine.
In fact, most people in the world probably never in their life are dressed and have not even seen so thick and warm clothes as the locals wear in winter here.
Even more difficult is the life of local residents because of the fact that they remain quite far from the civilization of the optional extras and amenities that benefit residents of modern cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg.
For example, in Oymyakon most people use an outside toilet, which at (-40) °C is a real challenge.
Most people have in the outer toilet a cauldron with water below which burns low fire.
This makes the temperature a little more bearable and the outer structure – usable.
Oymyakon is also known by the fact that here the vehicles which must always be available have to be kept in well-heated garage in winter or if they are not – the engine should be regularly turned on, otherwise the vehicle will freeze and will not can be used while the weather is cold.
The climate in Oymyakon is very harsh subarctic (sub polar).
After the brief but mild summer, which lasts from June to August and locals enjoy almost nonstop sun shining and temperatures between 18 and 23°C, in September temperatures start to fall very fast.
The weather starts cooling, and nature is prepares for the cold and long winter.
It begins in October.
At the beginning the cold weather is relatively bearable.
Usually during the day the temperatures are around (-10) °C.
A month later, even (-30) °C are considered to be warm and the icing on the cake are December and January, when daytime temperatures are usually below (-42) °C even during the day.
Although during those months, when lasts the polar night and when the daylight appears only for 3-4 hours a day the differences between day and night are not very large.
The first whiff of spring is felt in May, when daily temperatures rise above zero and reach 5 – 10°C.
More from Weather:
- What Country has the Most Diverse Climate?
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Do you want to know the coldest places on earth? Pretty sure you wouldn’t like to reside there! Below are the places with recorded lowest temperature on earth ever!
1. Eureka – Canada
A small research base, Eureka, is located in the Canadian territory of Nunavut and has only eight rotating population. They receive supplies by air every one to two weeks. Eureka’s annual average temperature is -18.8 ° C.
2. Rogers Pass – USA
The Rogers Pass in Montana, USA, is the warmest place on this list. It is 5,610m above sea level and has a temperature of 0° C to 10° C during January.
3. Prospect Creek – Alaska, USA
Would you believe that the temperature in Prospect Creek drops to -10°? On January 23, 1971, it was declared the coldest area in the United States where it reached an average temperature of -62.2°C
4. Stanley – United States
The town of Stanley, which has only 63 population, is one of the coldest places on earth. The temperature in this place can drop to 8°C in December. And can reach an average temperature of 28°C in July.
5. Snag – Yukon, Canada
One of the places with the lowest temperature can be found in the North American continent – in a small valley of Snag. With an average high temperature of 0° C and low temperature can drop to -12.2°C
6. Oymyakon – Russia
The average temperature in the months of January, February and December in Oymyakon is -50° C. And remains below 0° C in late September until mid-April. The coldest recorded temperature (in Northern Hemisphere) was on February 6, 1933, where it dropped to -67.7° C.
7. Eismitte – Greenland
Eismitte means “ice-center” in the German language. No doubt, this place is notably cold! It is an expedition site in the early 30s where the German scientist Alfred Wegener died. The annual average temperature is -30 ° C. The warmest month is in July with an average temperature of -12.2 ° C.
8. Ulaanbaatar – Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar, the largest city of Mongolia, is absolutely the most populated place on this list. Ulaanbaatar is considered the coldest capital in the world during winter. It has an average temperature of -24.5° C in January and it was in January 2001 when it reached a temperature of -45° C.
9. Vostok, Antarctica
One of the freezing places in the world is Vostok in Antarctica. with the average temperature of approximately -65 ° C from April to October. During the warm season of November to March, the average temperature is about -42° C.
10. Northern Ice, Greenland
From 1952 to 1954, it was a research station of the British North Greenland Expedition in Greenland. The lowest temperature being recorded was on January 9, 1954, when it reached -66.1° C.
This world is considered the masterpiece of nature. If there is daylight, high rains and cold temperatures in some parts of the world then at the same time there is darkness, shortage of rain and hot weather, respectively in the other parts of the world. This is the distribution of nature and we cannot deny this reality.
However, some parts even face a temperature below the freezing level. In those parts of the world, everything freezes at such low temperatures, from electronics to gasoline to pen ink. Even the batteries lose power and pipes crack under pressure exerted by ice and snow.
The citizens of these coldest places live a very different and difficult life as compared to the other places in the world. There are different types of research studies that have clearly shown and identified that life in those parts of the world is considered quite tough and challenging and special arrangements are required to live there.
In order to survive in the coldest places in the world, humans have had to adapt to their environment and lifestyle significantly.
We have selected this article in order to discuss some coldest places in the world and how the locals take the challenge of surviving in this extremely low temperature.
1. Verkhoyansk, Russia
Verkhoyansk in Russia is considered one of the coldest places in the world to live in. This place has a low residency ratio and according to a census conducted in 2011, there were hardly 2,893 residents residing in this place.
This place is located 1,500 miles south of the North Pole and 404 miles away from Yakutsk, which is also another coldest place in the world.
According to different types of research studies, the average temperature is -50.4 degrees F.
Source: decodedstuff
It means that the monthly temperature of this place stays below the freezing level from October through April.
It is said about this place that residents of this place recorded the lowest temperature of -90 degrees F.
2. Oymyakon, Russia
Oymyakon in Russia is also another coldest place in the world. It is situated in Russia. This remote village witnessed the lowest temperature of -90 degrees F on 6th February 1993.
Oymyakon is a rural locality that has a low residency ratio due to its severe weather conditions.
This place has a well-developed tourist department, which has promoted the town as a perfect destination for adventure travelers who are hungry for the taste of an extreme journey.
Source: tourismplacesworld/blogspot
As Oymyakon is the coldest place in the world, children here are not allowed to play outside for more than 20 minutes during the typical winter season.
In Oymyakon temperature can fall below -50 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, even the lungs of the human can freeze and collapse.
Despite all these difficulties and hardships, humans have found ways to survive there. Many of the coldest places in the world now attract tourists that are eager to see the coldest weather.
3. International Falls, Minn.
International Falls nicked, as the icebox of the nation is also included in the list of coldest places in the world to live on earth.
Like other coldest places in the world, the occupancy ratio is also low in this part of the world.
Source: csmonitor
International Falls sits on the border between the U.S and Canada and according to a census conducted in 2011, only 9,389 people live there.
The temperature of this place remains below the freezing level for more than 2 months a year. This area gets a lot of snow, about 65.5 inches of snowfall annually.
4. Yakutsk, Russia
This large city of Yakutsk is also considered the coldest place in the world to live in. This place is well known to fans of the board game Risk.
It is claimed to be the coldest city on earth. There are different research studies that have shown the fact that the world’s coldest temperature outside of Antarctica was recorded not far from Yakutsk in the basin of the Yana River.
During the winter season, the average temperature of this place remains below the freezing level and it starts to drop to freezing level in September and it does not come back till May.
During January, the average high temperature is -34 degrees F. This place witnessed a record low temperature of -81.4 degrees F.
The locals are professionals to combat the severe harsh weather of Yakutsk.
There are almost 270,000 people residing there. They build special houses for icy weather and use thick wool layers to keep their body warm.
In supportive weather they also enjoy numerous theaters, museums, and even a zoo.
5. Hell, Norway
Hell is a small village and one of the coldest places to survive on earth.
This place is located in Norway and has gained notoriety for the combination of its name and sub-arctic temperatures.
Source: scandinaviansky/tumblr
The average temperature of this place remains below the freezing level at about -20 degrees F.
Tourists are now moving to this place as this place has many things to attract.
This place has the coldest temperature from December to March of every year.
6. Barrow, Alaska
Alaska is a home where many cold cities reside. One of them is Barrow.
It is nestled in the northernmost city in the United States and is just 1,300 miles south of the North Pole and 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
This place also has a small occupancy ratio and faces the super cold and windy winters.
Source: wunderground
It is said about this city that sunsets at the end of November and does not reappear until the end of January.
When the mercury drops down, the temperature of this place remains below the freezing level for more than six months a year.
This place is also an economic hub of the North Slope and many of its residents work in the energy industry. Barrow can only be assessed by aircraft or by sea.
7. Vostok Station, Antarctica
Vostok Station is a frighteningly cold station to live on.
This Russian research station is where the lowest recorded temperature was taken at -89.2 degrees Celsius.
Antarctica is famous all over the world as the coldest place on earth.
This place is also famous as the windiest and has the highest overall elevation of any continent in the world.
Source: dxing/at-communication
It is also said about Antarctica that it receives about 90% of the ice in the world.
The Vostok Station in Antarctica receives almost no rainfall, making this place technically a desert.
8. North Ice, Greenland
North ice station is included in the list of coldest places in the world.
This place is also considered as the coldest region in the Western Hemisphere.
This station witnessed the lowest temperature of -66 degrees Celsius.
Source: inhabitat
North Ice is a British research station, which is located in the middle of the Greenland ice sheet.
This location of the world has the lowest population as there are certain difficulties, which make this place hard to live in.
9. Snag, Yukon, Canada
Snag is a small dry weathered village located in the Yukon Territory in Canada.
It is considered as the coldest place on the North American continent.
Source: jgall34/hubpages
This village has recorded the lowest bone-chilling temperature of -63 degrees Celsius.
This place gets brutally cold because the mountains block the warm air from the Pacific Ocean.
However, it is very famous among tourists due to its charming attraction and beauty.
10. Denali, USA
Denali or Mountain McKinley is considered as the highest peak in North America and this mountain has long been considered as the coldest mountain on earth.
Source: telegraph
This beautiful scenic mountain has a severe winter season, which comes with certain difficulties and problems for the residents of this area.
The normal temperature of this place remains at the range of -40 degrees Celsius.
The above discussed is the list of coldest places on earth ranked by lowest temperatures.
Under these circumstances residing or visiting there will not only set your teeth chattering but also your body will freeze to death if necessary measures are not taken place.
Two most freezing cold places concluded are Antarctica and Siberia.
Antarctica, temperatures can easily plummet to -84 degrees Celsius at the Plateau Station and the average annual temperature normally reaches -36 degrees Celsius.
Therefore Siberia’s average temperature reaches more than -51 degrees Celsius in January. Eastern Siberia has an average winter temperature of -45 degrees Celsius and this place has recorded the lowest temperature at -71.2 degrees Celsius.
There are different types of research reports that have shown the fact that these areas are so cold that empty plastic bags taken outside freeze within minutes and then crack like glass.
Living with the challenging weather and surviving in these most freezing cold places in the world is quite difficult and tough. Research has shown this fact that most scientists are the only humans to live there for months and they normally stay there only in summer.