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7 Coldest Places in the World

Pack your warmest clothes and grab some blankets because we are about to experience some extreme weather. From the Arctic to Antarctica, these are the places that hold the records for the coldest places in the world. Prepare for thermometers to plummet.

7 Coldest Places in the World

1. East Antarctic Plateau (-130 degrees Fahrenheit/-90 degrees Celsius)

Antarctica holds the record for being the coldest place on Earth, however, some places are colder than others. At the Amundsen-Scott Station thermometers recorded a temperature of minus 117.04°F (-82.8°C) in 1982, but this is positively balmy compared to other spots. At Vostok Station, thermometers recorded a temperature of minus 128.6°F (-89.2°C) in 1983. However, on the Eastern Antarctic Plateau, surface snow temperatures are colder than minus 130°F (−90°C) in the wintertime. However, a satellite using remote sensing recorded the temperature at the Eastern Antarctic Plateau. Ground-based thermometers measured the temperature at the Vostok Station. Therefore, Vostok Station holds the official record of the coldest place on Earth.

coldest places in the world

2. Klinck station, Greenland (-93.3 Fahrenheit/-69.6 Celsius)

On 22 December 1991, the lowest temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere was minus 93.3°F (-69.6°C). An automatic weather station in Greenland took the reading. The record temperature was only discovered recently and verified by the WMO Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes. Therefore, this knocks the Russian towns of Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk off the top spots.

greenland

3. Verkhoyansk, Russia (-90 Fahrenheit/-67.8 Celsius)

Verkhoyansk is located in the Arctic Circle’s Northern Pole of Cold. Home to around 1,300 people, Verkhoyansk sees some of the greatest temperature fluctuations between winter and summer anywhere on Earth. The town holds the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle (37.8°C / 100.0°F). The town also holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle. In February 1892, temperatures plummeted to minus 90°F (-67.8°C).

Verkhoyansk

4. Oymyakon, Russia (-89.9 Fahrenheit/- 67.7 Celsius)

Oymyakon in the District of the Sakha Republic in Russia is the coldest continually inhabited place on Earth. Like Verkhoyansk, Oymyakon is also located in the Arctic Circle’s Northern Pole of Cold. The average winter temperature is minus 58°F (−90°C). In 1924, Oymyakon recorded an unofficial temperature reading of minus 96.16°F (-71.2°C). The official lowest temperature record occurred on 6 February 1933 when temperatures plummeted to minus 89.9°F (−67.7°C). At the time, this was the lowest temperature ever recorded outside Antarctica.

coldest places in the world

5. Yakutsk, Russia (-83.92 Fahrenheit/-64.4 Celsius)

Sticking with Russia, with an average temperature of −16.2°F (-8.8 °C), Yakutsk is the coldest major city on earth. On 5 February 1891, it recorded a low temperature of minus 83.9°F (−64.4°C). The city is south of the Arctic Circle and built on continuous permafrost. Between the dates of 10th November and 14th March, it has never recorded a temperature above freezing.

coldest places in the world

6. Snag, Canada (-83.02 Fahrenheit/-63.9 Celsius)

Snag in the Yukon Territory in Canada holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in North America. On 3 February 1947, the village recorded a temperature of minus 83.02°F (-63.9°C). At that time, the population of the village was around ten First Nation people. Nowadays it is an abandoned village.

Canada

7. Prospect Creek, Alaska, United States (-78.16 Fahrenheit/-62.1 Celsius)

On 23 January 1971, in Prospect Creek, Alaska, the thermometer dropped to minus 78.16°F (-62.1°C). This is the lowest temperature that the United States has ever recorded. In 1971, Prospect Creek was home to 27,000 people who were building the Alaskan Pipeline. Nowadays, it is uninhabited. Surprisingly, the oil in the pipe didn’t freeze on that record night as the pipeline has 4-inch-thick (10 centimetres) insulation.

coldest places in the world

Melanie May

Melanie is an intrepid solo traveller, endlessly curious about people, places and food. She is a fan of slow travel and loves exploring the world by mouth, discovering a culture through its food. Having backpacked her way around the world she turned her wanderlust into a career and is now a full-time travel writer.

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