The coldest temperature I’ve ever experienced was -20°. I’ll never forget the experience. It didn’t matter how many layers, jackets, scarves, hats, and gloves you put on. Once you opened the door and stepped out, the cold would steal the air from your lungs. The icy breeze would pierce your skin like thousands of needles, and you’d question your ability to walk out into it. Here are some of the coldest places on the planet. Would you dare venture into them?
1. Vostok Station, Antarctica
The coldest recorded temperature at Vostok Station occurred in 1983. Thermometers relayed a whopping -128.56° Fahrenheit in the middle of July. The Soviet Union constructed this South Pole destination in 1957 for meteorologists and scientists to study the Earth’s climate.
2. Eastern Antarctic Plateau
A recent study from NASA surfaced in July, stating that the Eastern Antarctic Plateau is the coldest place on Earth, clocking in at -144° Fahrenheit. The plateau’s proximity to the south pole and high elevation prevent the climate from adjusting between frigid temperatures, maintaining a freezing, harsh environment year-round.
3. North Ice, Greenland
North Ice Greenland used to be a research station from the British North Greenland Expedition between 1952 and 1954, but today, the location harbors a lengthy sheet of ice that rarely exceeds zero degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest calculated temperature was -93° Fahrenheit in 1991, but the temperature stays around -50° Fahrenheit.
4. Oymyakon, Russia
Oymyakon is a rural village in Russia nestled along the Indigirka River. The average temperature is -58° Fahrenheit. Residents have to use outdoor restrooms, considering indoor plumbing freezes, and they eat a lot of meat since the ground freezes, preventing crops from growing.
5. Snag, Canada
This village on the outskirts of Alaska rose to prominence during the Klondike Gold Rush. Snag became inhabited years later, but residents admitted they could hear conversations miles away due to the harsh, wintry air, and if they exhaled outside, their breath froze mid-sentence. The coldest recorded temperature occurred in 1947 at -63° Fahrenheit.
6. Denali, Alaska
The highest mountain peak in the U.S. is 20,310 feet above sea level. The coldest temperature recorded at the summit was -73° Fahrenheit in 2003. This Alaskan paradise allows visitors to revel in an uninterrupted view of the Aurora Borealis. Weather flickers between -40° Fahrenheit and 20° Fahrenheit.
7. Verkhoyansk, Russia
Verkhoyansk’s population depletes yearly thanks to the piercing climate. The winter temperature reaches below -50° Fahrenheit, while the summertime actually sees glimpses of heat, soaring to 80° Fahrenheit. This Russian city recorded its lowest temperature, -89 degrees Fahrenheit, in 1892 and 1933,
8. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world, with an average temperature of 32° Fahrenheit. Meteorologists reported the coldest temperature at -47° Fahrenheit. Ulaanbaatar stands miles away from any sight of water to regulate the temperature, creating a crisp, landlocked climate that houses a million residents.
9. Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is the coldest city in the U.S., with an average temperature of -17° Fahrenheit and the lowest recorded temperature of -66° Fahrenheit. Here’s another Alaskan spot to keep an eye out for the glorious Northern Lights, as long as you have your parka and blankets.
10. Mohe, China
Also called China’s North Pole, Mohe welcomed its lowest recorded temperature, -63° Fahrenheit, earlier this year. China’s Northernmost city has a subarctic climate that averages -18° Fahrenheit in the winter months.
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