Where is the Coldest Place in the World
There are many places in the world where the temperature drops well below zero during the winter months. Many of the countries that are close to the Arctic Circle have bitterly long, cold autumns and winters where the sun is seen for only a few hours a day. Places that have extreme temperatures tend to be uninhabited by people, but many reliable readings have been taken that indicate the coldest place in the world.
Lowest Temperature Recorded
The lowest temperature ever recorded was in Vostok, Antarctica at a horrific -129°F (-89.4°C) on 21 July 1983. Vostok’s warmest temperature has been recorded at just -19 degrees Celsius (-2.2oF) Antarctica is the coldest, driest, windiest place on the planet and no other place on earth comes close to matching it for freezing temperatures. It annual average temperature is approximately -32.8°F (-36°C). Antarctica is not inhabited by people, but there are many brave and curious scientists that spend time in research stations on the continent.
Coldest Inhabited Place in the World
Whilst no place on earth can compare to the bone chilling cold of Antarctica, there are other inhabited areas of the world that have shockingly cold temperatures and extremely long winters. Siberia in Russia is one of these areas. It is normal during Siberian winters for the temperatures to plummet to -60°F (-51.1°C) in January. The little town of Oymyakon, in Eastern Siberia has a mean winter temperature of -49°F (?45°C). Some of their winters have reached even lower with temperatures of as low as -96.16°F (-71.2°C).
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