Top 14 Coldest Places on Earth

Fraser is a town located in Colorado, USA, nestled in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 2,600 meters. The climate here is relatively cold, though not nearly as extreme as that of International Falls. The average temperature hovers around 0.27°C, with the lowest recorded temperature reaching -1.67°C in June each year. Due to its high altitude and the difficult terrain, the town has a small population of just over 1,000 residents.

Fraser competes with International Falls for the title of "The Nation's Icebox," leading to a bit of friendly rivalry in recent years. From October to April, temperatures consistently stay below freezing. Locals are often seen in heavy coats and fur hats, staying indoors when the cold becomes unbearable. Have you ever experienced such harsh weather? Just reading about it gives you the chills, doesn't it?

Yakutsk is a city located in the Russian Far East, approximately 450 km south of the Arctic Circle. It serves as the capital of the Sakha Republic in Russia and is a major port on the Lena River. The city is home to Yakutsk Airport as well as the smaller Magan Airport, with a population of around 300,000. With an average temperature of -8.8°C, Yakutsk is the second coldest city in the world with over 100,000 residents, following Norilsk. Although Yakutsk experiences colder winters, it remains a major city within the permafrost zone and one of the largest cities that cannot be accessed by road.

Yakutsk has the coldest winter temperatures of any large city on Earth, with monthly averages ranging from 19.5°C in July to -38.6°C in January. Only Norilsk has a lower annual average temperature among settlements with over 100,000 people. Yakutsk is also the largest city built on continuous permafrost, and many of its buildings are constructed on concrete pilings to withstand the freezing ground.

Located right next to Trondheim Værnes Airport, Hell is a small village in central Norway. When travelers check-in at the airport on Facebook, they’re presented with the option "Hell International Airport," as noted by Life in Norway. During winter, the average temperature here is -3.9°C, with the coldest recorded temperature dropping to -25°C. According to local resident Ingvild Overmo, Hell stays frozen for nearly the entire year. Hence, the phrase “Frozen Hell” has become a popular description of the area.

Another interesting detail is that the locals enjoy wordplay with the village’s name. Everything here is associated with the word “Hell,” from the Hell Bridge to the Hell Hotel and Hell Airport. In 1990, when a local girl named Mona Grudt was crowned Miss Norway, the media quickly dubbed her “The Beauty Queen from Hell.” Would you be up for experiencing Hell’s icy climate?

Snag is a small village located on a branch of Beaver Creek in Canada. Nestled in a bowl-shaped valley along the White River and its tributaries, including Snag Creek, this village was once home to a military airfield, which operated as part of the Northwest Route before closing in 1968. In 1947, Snag had a population of eight to ten people, primarily indigenous inhabitants and fur traders. An additional 15 to 20 airfield personnel, including meteorologists, radio operators, and aircraft maintenance staff, also lived in the airfield's barracks.

Snag experiences a subarctic climate with mild summers and long, cold winters. On February 3, 1947, Snag recorded a record-low temperature of -63°C. During that same winter, two previous records were set, including one in December, where a variety of unusual phenomena occurred, including voices being clearly heard from their source. The sky was clear, aside from a light layer of freezing fog, and the wind was light to calm. With 38.1 cm of snow on the ground, it was gradually decreasing. Another town, Fort Selkirk, located 180 km northeast of Snag, claimed an even colder temperature of -65°C, but this report could not be confirmed.

Greenland lies in the Arctic climate zone, with the average temperature of the warmest month not exceeding 10°C. There is a distinct climatic difference between the northern and southern regions, as well as between coastal areas and the interior. The surrounding sea influences the climate, cooling the summer air and warming it during winter. Therefore, the southern coast experiences milder winters and cooler summers, while the northern coast endures cooler summers and colder winters. Comparing temperatures between Sisimiut on the coast and Kangerlussuaq, 150 km inland at the same latitude, reveals a significant difference. In January 2003, the average temperature in Sisimiut was -7.2°C, while Kangerlussuaq's was -12.4°C. In July 2003, Sisimiut's average was 7.1°C, while Kangerlussuaq's was 11.4°C.

Precipitation also varies greatly. In the southern regions, annual rainfall ranges from 800 mm to 1,400 mm. As you move further north and deeper into the interior, rainfall significantly decreases. In these areas, annual precipitation is less than 200 mm, and in some areas like Peary Land, it is negligible, making it akin to a polar desert. The length of daylight also varies significantly by location and season, with up to 2 months of midnight sun in some places, 3 months in Upernavik, and nearly 4 months in Qaanaaq.

Among the officially active weather stations, Vostok holds the title as the coldest place on Earth in terms of average annual temperature. Vostok Station is ranked as one of the coldest regions, with temperatures averaging -89.2°C. Not only is it the coldest place on the planet, but it also experiences some of the strongest winds on Earth. This region rarely sees rainfall, and human settlement is nearly impossible due to the extreme climate, making Vostok a true desert within Russia.

Vostok has an ice-cap climate, with subzero temperatures year-round, typical of most of Antarctica. It receives only 22 mm of precipitation annually, making it one of the driest places on Earth. On average, the Vostok station experiences 26 snowy days each year. Despite having no sunlight from May to August, it is one of the sunniest places on Earth, with more annual sunshine hours than the sunniest areas of South Africa. Vostok has the highest total sunlight hours for any month on Earth, averaging 708.8 hours of sunlight in December, or 22.9 hours a day.

Alaska is a state in the United States, bordering the eastern part of Canada. It is known for having one of the coldest temperatures on Earth, recorded at -62°C in 1971. The region is frozen year-round, attracting many visitors to its icy landscapes. Due to the extremely low temperatures, the population is sparse and primarily engaged in tourism. Southeast Alaska has a moderate oceanic climate in the south and a sub-Arctic climate in the north. On average, Southeast Alaska is the wettest and warmest part of the state, with mild winters and high precipitation year-round. It is the only region in Alaska where daytime temperatures remain above freezing during winter.

The climate of Anchorage and Central South Alaska is considered temperate by Alaskan standards due to its proximity to the coast. Although it receives less rainfall than Southeast Alaska, it experiences more snow and generally clearer days. The region has a sub-Arctic climate, with short, cool summers. Western Alaska’s climate is influenced by the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska, with sub-Arctic oceanic conditions in the southwest and sub-Arctic continental conditions in the northern part, which receives considerable precipitation. The interior of Alaska has a sub-Arctic climate, with some of the highest and lowest temperatures recorded near Fairbanks, where summer temperatures can reach up to 30°C, while winter can plummet to -51°C.

Ellesmere Island is a vast landmass, the 10th largest island in the world, but it is far from a tropical paradise. Instead, it is home to expansive ice deserts. The average temperature here hovers around -20°C, dropping to around -40°C in winter. Despite its large size, as of 2005, the island has a mere 170 permanent residents. Alert, the northernmost settlement on Earth, endures 4 months of darkness with no sunlight, followed by 4 months of continuous daylight.

There are three settlements on Ellesmere Island: Alert (the northernmost point on Earth), Eureka, and Grise Fiord. However, few tourists are eager to visit, as the cost of a flight here is around $20,000.

Alert was named after HMS Alert, a British ship that arrived near the island in 1875. Captain George Nares and his crew were the first to set foot on Ellesmere. The inhabitants of Alert mostly work at a military communication center and two weather monitoring stations. The temperatures are so extreme that without proper protection, exposed skin, muscles, and corneas can freeze in just a few minutes. Very few plants or mosses can survive the harsh conditions of Alert.

Prospect Creek is located about 290 km north of Fairbanks and around 40 km southeast of Bettles, Alaska. It holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States. In January 1971, temperatures at Prospect Creek dropped to an astonishing -62°C. Today, the weather in this area remains even more extreme, with February being the coldest month.

Rogers Pass is a mountainous area bordering the Helena National Forest in Montana, USA, situated over 1,700 meters above sea level. It is known for having some of the coldest temperatures in the United States, excluding Alaska. In 1954, temperatures here dropped to a chilling -70°F (around -57°C).

Denali, formerly known as McKinley, is the tallest mountain in North America, located in southern central Alaska, part of the Alaska Range. At approximately 6,168 meters above sea level, Denali ranks as the third highest peak in the world, following Mount Everest in the Himalayas and Aconcagua.

The upper half of Denali is entirely covered by snow and glaciers. Ice rivers at this elevation can stretch up to 48 kilometers. In the coldest regions of the mountain, temperatures at 5,700 meters can plummet to -60°C. With strong winds, the air temperature can dip as low as -83°C. At such extreme cold, the human body can freeze instantly.

Verkhoyansk is a remote town in Russia, located about 2,400 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. It is sparsely populated and historically known for being a site for political prisoners starting in the 1860s. The town has an extremely cold climate, with an average annual temperature well below freezing. For example, in January, temperatures can plummet to around -45°C. From April to October, the temperatures are consistently below freezing. The residents endure harsh winters wearing heavy, nearly full-coverage clothing, leaving only their eyes exposed.

Verkhoyansk is one of the coldest inhabited places in the Northern Hemisphere. The lowest recorded temperature here was -67.6°C in February 1892, which was once considered the coldest official temperature recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. In this region, temperature inversions are common in winter due to the dense, extremely cold air of Siberian high pressure settling into deep valleys, causing temperatures to rise with altitude. In Verkhoyansk, the average minimum temperature in January, February, and December can still be below -50°C. Along with Oymyakon, Verkhoyansk is one of the only two places in the world with a population where temperatures fall below -60°C every day in January.

Oymyakon, located in Russia, experiences extremely low temperatures during the winter, often dropping below -40°C. The coldest recorded temperature occurred in 1933, when it reached -67.8°C. In contrast, in Vietnam, students are given school breaks when temperatures fall below 10°C, but in Oymyakon, school is canceled only when the temperature drops below -52°C. The population here is sparse, with fewer than 1,000 residents, mostly from Russian ethnic minorities.

With its harsh subarctic climate, Oymyakon is recognized as one of the coldest inhabited places in the Northern Hemisphere. A monument was erected in the town square to commemorate a temperature measurement taken in the 1920s, which recorded a chilling -71.2°C. This was officially the coldest temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere, as shown in an Australian documentary on the 60 Minutes program in 2012.

International Falls is the coldest city in the United States, earning the nickname "The Icebox of the Nation" due to its average annual temperature remaining below -3°C, with a record low of -48°C. Winters here last for more than half the year, with harsh conditions. The average winter temperature is around -17°C, and snow accumulates to nearly 2 meters. Despite these extreme conditions, more than 7,000 people live here and have adapted to the cold. The residents take pride in their town's nickname and find happiness in this icy environment.

Winters in International Falls are exceptionally long, with an average yearly temperature of -3.3°C. In January, the temperature typically hovers around -16°C. Nearly 100 nights per year see temperatures drop to 0°C or lower. According to Mother Nature Network, snowfall is abundant, with around 1.6 meters of snow falling annually. In July, the temperature rarely exceeds 18°C, and summer highs of 32°C are a rare occurrence.