It is difficult to determine reliably which places are the coldest on Earth. Initially, everything seems pretty simple - you just need to find information on temperatures, and then compare them. But how exactly to determine the place? Antarctica is, of course, the coldest place on Earth, but is it worth considering it as a whole? Or how many different items? Should we take the lowest recorded temperature, or the average for the year? There are many questions that prevent this list from being perfect. But this list contains the Top 10 places where you will definitely feel what real cold is like.

Vostok Station, Antarctica

Of course, the number one place on the list of the coldest is Antarctica. Vostok is a Russian meteorological station that holds the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth - minus 53.67 degrees Celsius. This temperature was recorded on July 21st, 1983, although some claim that in 1997 it dropped to 55.56 degrees. The warmest month here is January, with an average temperature of -3.44 degrees, while the averages during the winter months are minus 26.67 degrees. This place is at an altitude of 3,488 meters above sea level, with minimal oxygen and no humidity. Vostok station is considered one of the most dangerous, inhospitable and unpleasant places in the world.

Northeys in Greenland

The next place on the list is much less known. Northeys in Greenland was the research station of the British expedition in the 1950s, where they successfully recorded the lowest temperature in North America. A temperature of -66.1 degrees Celsius was recorded in Northice on January 9th, 1954. Cold temperatures persist to this day, so Northice is unlikely to become a popular tourist destination any time soon.

Eismitte in Greenland

In fairness, it should be noted that Eismitte (literally "Middle of Ice" in German) is devoid of any buildings and signs of civilization. In the 1930s, an expedition was sent here to take temperature measurements. In February, the coldest month, the temperature here drops to -64.9 °C. These studies came at a very heavy price. In 1930-1931, the mission claimed the lives of Alfred Wegener and Rasmus Willumsen, while another member of the group had his toes amputated without anesthetic. These are sufficient reasons to stop any desire to visit these places.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The most populated place on our list, the capital of Mongolia is considered the coldest capital in the world and one of the most polluted. The city is located at an altitude of 1,310 meters above sea level and is home to 1,278,000 people. There are some interesting sights to see here, but you don't want to linger outside with an average January temperature of -25 degrees Celsius (which can easily drop to -42 degrees).

Eureka in Canada

This research settlement has no permanent residents, only 8 people service personnel. Evreka has been used as a weather station since its founding in 1947. It is not the most glamorous place to work, with no sunlight from October to February and an average annual temperature of -16 degrees Celsius. The area is also a polar desert, without any precipitation from October to May. Despite this, many plants and animals are present here, which is why Eureka was called the “Garden of the Arctic”. This is not only one of the coldest places on Earth, but also a place of great contrasts.

Oymyakon, Russia

When it comes to cold weather, Russia definitely ranks in the big leagues. In Oymyakon was registered a record low level at -67.78 degrees Celsius, the lowest recorded temperature for a permanently inhabited place on Earth. The record was recorded on February 6th, 1933. With a population of 472, the settlement is quite large compared to some of the others on the list.

Snedge in Yukon, Canada

What about the coldest temperature in continental North America? The record belongs to the village of Snej in Canada, where on February 3rd, 1947, a temperature of -62.78 degrees Celsius was recorded. The settlement is currently uninhabited, as the living conditions here are quite harsh.

Prospect Creek, Alaska

This cold place is currently uninhabited, but it was once home to several thousand construction workers who built the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline System between 1974 and 1977. The campsite was disbanded after the pipeline was completed and now there is no one to enjoy the average daily temperatures of -26 degrees Celsius in January. The most low temperature was registered at Rogers Pass and was -62 degrees (in January 1971).

Stanley, Idaho, USA

The population of this city in Idaho is only 63 people. A record low of -47 degrees was recorded here in December, but Stanley is called the city of extremes, because warm months in summer the temperature can be quite high. The city has its own museum, mayor, and even its own chamber of commerce - pretty good for a population of 63!

Rogers Pass in the USA

Rounding out the list of the coldest places on Earth is Rogers Pass in Montana, USA. Located at an altitude of 5,610 meters above sea level, Rogers Pass is located in Montana, being one of the warmest places on the list. The average temperature in January currently fluctuates between -10 and 0 degrees, but on January 20, 1954, a record of -57 Celsius was recorded here.

Rogers Pass is a pass that rises to 1710 m above sea level. Located in the US state of Montana. Known for its inaccessibility, and also as one of the few natural places grizzly bears, golden eagles and bald eagles. On January 20, 1954, the coldest temperature in the United States outside of Alaska was recorded here - -57°C.


Fort Selkirk is an abandoned trading post located on the Yukon River, Canada. It was founded in 1848 by the explorer and fur trader Robert Campbell, but later due to poor weather conditions was abandoned. Now Fort Selkirk is protected by the state. It can only be reached by boat or plane. Most cold month it's January here, and the lowest recorded temperature was -58.9°C.


Prospect Creek is a small community located 290 km north of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. It serves as a home for numerous mountain expeditions. Once a camp for workers during the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Practically all year round low temperatures prevail here. On January 23, 1971, a record low temperature was recorded, which amounted to -62°C.

snag


Seventh place in the list of the coldest places in the world is Snag - a small abandoned settlement located in the White River Valley, 25 kilometers east of Beaver Creek, Yukon, Canada. It was founded during the gold rush in Alaska. On February 3, 1947, a record temperature was recorded here in -63°C.


Eismitte is the polar station of the expedition of Alfred Wegener (1930-1931) located on the Greenland Ice Sheet, 402 km from the coast. Minimum temperature, registered during the expedition, was -65°C. The average temperature of the coldest month (February) is -47 °C.


The fifth place in the ranking of the coldest places in the world is occupied by Northeys - the former research station of the British Expedition (1952-1954), headed by Captain James Simpson. It was located on the Greenland Ice Sheet. On January 9, 1954, the station recorded the lowest temperature in North America - -66.1°C.


Verkhoyansk is a city in the Republic of Yakutia, located on the right bank of the Yana River, 675 km north of Yakutsk, Russia. With a population of 1173 inhabitants (2014) Verkhoyansk is one of the smallest cities Russian Federation. The average temperature here is -14.7°C. The lowest recorded, in February 1892, was -69.8°C.


Oymyakon is a village located on the left bank of the Indigirka River in the Republic of Yakutia, Russia. As of 2010, 462 people live in the village. Oymyakon is the coldest locality on the ground. The lowest temperature here was recorded on January 26, 1926 and was -79°C, however, according to unofficial data, the temperature in the village reached -83 ° C.


Plateau Station is an inactive American research station located on the Antarctic polar plateau. The average temperature in the cold season (from April to October) is about -70 ° C, warm (from November to March) - -40 ° C. The lowest temperature was recorded on July 20, 1968 and amounted to -86.2°C.

East


The coldest place on Earth is the Russian (formerly Soviet) Antarctic research station, located 1253 km from South Pole- East. The station was founded on December 16, 1957 and is currently used jointly by Russian, American and French scientists. On July 21, 1983, the lowest temperature on the planet was recorded here, it was -89.2°C.

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First, let's deal with the question "Why is it cold in winter?". Our planet, as you know, revolves around the Sun, and many will be right, linking the change of seasons and this movement of the Earth. That's just half the truth. The second half of it lies in the fact that the rotation of the Earth around its axis also affects the change of seasons.

As a result, these two rotations give the following result: the planet is not only moving away from the Sun or approaching it, but also "exposing its sides" to the sun's rays at different angles. At the equator, for example, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays is always the same, and therefore it is always warm and light there. But closer to the poles and the angle is different and the seasons change regularly there.

In addition, with the approach of winter, the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere decreases, which did not allow heat to "leave", and the falling snow reflects most of the sun's rays, preventing terrestrial objects from absorbing them and heating up.

North and South Poles

Many people will say that the poles are the coldest places on the planet. And they will be right and wrong at the same time. And yet, oddly enough, the North Pole is warmer than the South. We explain why.

We need to start with how the poles differ in addition to their geographical location. The Arctic - the North Pole - is an ice-covered expanse of the Arctic Ocean. With the onset of summer in the northern hemisphere of our planet, this ice partially melts. In addition, an important role in temperature regime warm currents also play in the region, the Gulf Stream, for example. All in all, average temperature in the Arctic in winter it is about -34 ° C, and in summer it is even warmer.

Things are quite different on the other side of the planet. Antarctica is not just the southernmost continent. It is also one and a half times the size of Europe and two times the size of Australia, yes, in addition to everything, it is covered with a non-melting ice shell. Yes and especially warm currents does not pass by.

In geography lessons, they always tell that it is always colder on the mainland than in the sea. Add to this a perpetual ice sheet that reflects almost 95% of sunlight, no warm currents, and you have the whole picture. According to scientists, the average temperature southern mainland is -49°C.

Where is the coldest

If we take up the ranking of the coldest places on our planet, the picture is as follows: Antarctica will be the undisputed leader, followed by the coldest places in the Northern Hemisphere. Here are the top five of these regions.

Antarctica. Station "Vostok", the area of ​​the South Magnetic Pole of the Earth.

The research station "Vostok-1" was founded on December 16, 1957 by the outstanding Soviet scientist and polar explorer V.S. Sidorov, who later for a long time was the head of the station.

The lowest temperature was recorded at the station on July 21, 1983 and was -89.2 degrees Celsius. And the warmest day for the entire time of the station's operation remains the day of its foundation - December 16, 1957. Then the thermometer showed -13.6°C.

Yakutsk

The capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), a port on the Lena River. The city was founded by a detachment of the Yenisei centurion P. Beketov in 1632. The largest city in terms of population in the north-east of Russia. Yakutsk is considered the coldest city on earth. Medium annual temperature here +10°С. The average January temperature is -41°C. And the absolute minimum in the history of meteorological observations is -64°C. Is it true, last time such frosts were recorded already in 1946.

Verkhoyansk

Verkhoyansk is a settlement in Yakutia, located within the Northern polar circle. Historically, Verkhoyansk was a place of exile for political prisoners. The first participant sent to Verkhoyansk Polish uprising poet Pujitsky. On January 15, 1885, the exiled S. Kovalik registered the minimum air temperature in the entire history of observations, -67.1 ° C, using the equipment of a meteorological station. In 2005, a memorial plaque was unveiled in honor of the 120th anniversary of the registration of the absolute minimum temperature in the northern hemisphere.

Oymyakon

A village in the Oymyakonsky ulus (district - ed. note) of Yakutia, on the left bank of the Indigirka River. In the Sakha language, it means "non-freezing water", and is associated with a warm spring in the permafrost. On January 26, 1926, a temperature of -71.2°C was recorded here. Such temperatures are associated with the location of the city - in a bowl between the mountains, where cold air collects. Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon still claim to be the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere. Today the palm is given to Verkhoyansk.

Greenland

Not only Russia can boast of regions with very low temperatures. Denmark, oddly enough - too. After all, it is this state that owns Greenland - the largest island in the world, located in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. The area of ​​Greenland is over 2 million square kilometers. The reserves of ice are so impressive that if they melt, the level of the world ocean will rise not much, not a little - by 7 meters. And if we talk about the temperature regime on the island, then in the center of Greenland the average temperature in February does not rise above -47 ° C.

Despite such harsh conditions, people live even in the coldest places on our planet. And they definitely deserve a lot of respect. After all, not everyone is able to live and work in such conditions. Perhaps there are thrill-seekers who are eager to "feel" severe frosts. Be that as it may, nature, according to apt observation, does not have bad weather.

The weather is changing again, and here's a look at some of the insanely cold places where people actually live.

The lowest ever recorded was minus 128.6 degrees Fahrenheit (-89.2°C) at a Russian research station in Antarctica, Vostok on July 21, 1983. And while most cities are not so terribly cold, some are still quite close to this mark. Below are the eight coldest cities in the world where people live.

1) Verkhoyansk, Russia

According to the 2002 census, Verkhoyansk, Russia has 1,434 inhabitants. It was founded as a fortress in 1638 and served as a regional center for livestock and gold mining. Located 650 kilometers from Yakutsk, another cold spot on our list, and 2,400 kilometers south of North Pole, Verkhoyansk was used for political prisoners between 1860 and the beginning of the 20th century.

It's no wonder why the undesirables were sent here: in January, the average temperature is minus 50.4 degrees Fahrenheit (-45.7 ° C), and the average monthly temperature remains quite low from October to April. In 1892, residents recorded temperatures of minus 90 degrees F (-67.7 °C).

2) Oymyakon, Russia

People in Oymyakon object to Verkhoyansk being given the title of the coldest place in the Northern Hemisphere, arguing that they recorded a temperature minimum of minus 90 degrees F (-67.7 °C) on February 6, 1933.

By the way, political prisoners were also often exiled here during the Stalinist regime. Oymyakon is a three-day drive from Yakutsk, with 500 to 800 people living there. There is no mobile service here, and there are few modern amenities in general, and the schools in the village do not close at -52°C. Travel companies offer tours to Oymyakon as the "ideal destination" for an exotic adventure.

3) International Falls, Minnesota.

It may not be as cold in International Falls, Minnesota as in Oymyakon, but this place is one of the coldest places in the continental United States. Approximately 6,703 people live in International Falls (2000 census), which is on the border between the US and Canada.

Winters are long and cold, with an average January temperature of around 2.7 F (-16.2 °C). The mercury column will reach zero for more than 60 nights a year, and the area receives a lot of snow (166 cm). International Falls is at war with the city of Fraser, Colorado over the use of the trade name "refrigerator nation".

4) Frazier, Colorado.

Fraser, Colorado is located at an elevation of 2,600 meters in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and is home to 910 residents (2000 census). Located close to the popular ski resort Winter Park, Frazier enjoys some of the coldest winters in the continental United States. The average annual temperature during the year reaches 32.5 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 0 °C), and in summer it drops to 29 degrees (-1.66 °C).

5) Yakutsk, Russia

Yakutsk has a reputation as the most cold city in the world. The world's lowest temperature outside of Antarctica was recorded near Yakutsk in the Yana River basin. In winter, the average low drops below -40 °C, starting in October and lasting until the end of April. In January, the average temperature reaches -34 degrees Fahrenheit (-36.6°C); the record low recorded temperature in January is minus 81.4 degrees Fahrenheit (-63 °C).

6) Hell, Norway

Hell, which means "hell" in Norway, has become famous for the very successful combination of its name and subarctic temperature. The average air temperature in February 2010 was on the order of 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6.6 °C). Behind last years the flow of tourists to this city has increased greatly, mainly to take pictures against the background of one of the signs of the railway station.

Hell freezes, on average, for a third of the year, from December to March.

7) Barrow, Alaska

Barrow the most northern city in the United States and is located just 2,100 kilometers south of the North Pole and 510 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. small town, where 4581 people live, was built in an area of ​​permafrost, which is characterized by the absence of periodic thawing and very severe winters.

The sun sets at the end of November and does not appear until the end of January. Even during summer days the air is very cold. The average temperature doesn't rise until June, and even then barely - July averages a high of 40.4 degrees Fahrenheit (4.6 °C).

Barrow is economic center North Slope, and many of its residents work in the energy industry. The city can only be reached by plane or by sea.

8) Snedge, Canada

Located in the Yukon Territory, the village of Snej was the first settlement in the Klondike during the gold rush. A village in the White River Valley recorded its lowest temperature of minus 81 degrees Fahrenheit (-62.8 °C) on February 3, 1947. This is the lowest recorded temperature in continental North America. The average temperature in Snej ranges between 10.3 °F (-12.05°C) and 34.3 °F (1.2 °C).

Incredible Facts

Mother nature made sure that we feel quite comfortable on this planet, but there are places where harsh natural conditions take over human endurance. You may not want to go there as a tourist, but perhaps learning about these places, you can appreciate the charm of your native places more.


The coldest places in the world

Vostok Station, Antarctica


Located near the south geomagnetic pole, and at an altitude of about 3500 m above sea level, the Russian research station Vostok is in constant cold. In July 1983, the lowest temperature on earth was recorded here, namely -89.2 ° C. Near Vostok station is Lake Vostok - the largest lake on the planet, buried under 4 km of ice, which Russian scientists recently drilled.

Eureka, Canada


The Eureka Research Base in the north of Ellesmere Island in Canada is often referred to as the coldest inhabited place in the world. It is located on the 80th parallel and was established as a weather station in 1947. The average annual temperature here is around -20°C. In winter it drops to -40°C.

Oymyakon, Russia


About 350 km south of the Arctic Circle, Oymyakon, in Yakutia, plunged into an all-time cold spell in 1926 when temperatures dropped to -71.2°C, the lowest temperature in the northern hemisphere. Oymyakon is a place of extremes. In winter, the day lasts about 3 hours, and in summer the sun can shine for 21 hours.

McKinley, USA


Denali or Mount McKinley is the highest peak in North America and has long been considered the most cold mountain on the ground. The air temperature here drops to -40°C. To climb the 6194 meter peak of Alaska, you need to be a climber, but you can walk a little more warm places next to, in national park Denali.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia


Located in the Mongolian steppe, about 1300 meters above sea level, Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world. In January, the temperature rarely rises above -16 ° C, and the winters themselves are quite long and harsh.

The hottest places in the world

Deshte Lut Desert, Iran


In 2005, a NASA satellite recorded the highest surface temperature ever recorded, exceeding the 70-degree barrier. Combined with the heat, the Deshte Lut Desert rivals Chile's Atacama Desert for the title of the driest place on Earth, and across the surface of central Deshte Lut, no creature, including bacteria, will survive. This desert is proud of its unique natural phenomena, including sand dunes up to 500 m high due to strong winds.

Al Azizia, Libya


40 km south of Tripoli is the city of Al-Aziziyah, where the highest temperature of 57.8°C was recorded in September 1922. The city is located just an hour from mediterranean sea where you can cool off from the unbearable heat.

Death Valley, California, USA


Located 86 m below sea level, the famous strip of the Mojave Desert can rightfully be called Death Valley. A long and thin cavity traps hot air, which leads to crazy heat. Death Valley holds the record for high temperature in the western hemisphere. So in 1913, a temperature of 56.7 °C was recorded here. Midsummer averages 47°C and is the driest place in the US.

Dallol, Ethiopia


In Dallol, located in the Afar Basin, Africa plunges to a depth of 116 m below sea level, and the temperature begins to go off scale. Dallol has the highest mean annual temperature in the world, namely 34.4°C. If that's not hot enough for you, then you can visit the Dallol volcano located nearby.

Bangkok, Thailand


Bangkok has been named the world's hottest city by the World Meteorological Organization, with an average annual temperature of 28°C. The months from March to May are the hottest, when the air temperature reaches 34°C with 90 percent humidity.