Do you shiver as soon as the thermometer approaches zero? So never go to these places! They are the coldest on the planet, with temperatures reaching bone-chilling records…
Winter has officially started. And, as always, it is accompanied by a drop in temperatures which encourages you to stay warm and wrap up well outside. But if the proximity of zero degrees makes you shiver, you should know that certain places on Earth are so cold that the temperatures there defy the imagination. The world record was measured in Antarctica – the continent where the South Pole is located – near Argus Dome, where the thermometer fell to -98.6°C. This region is particularly prone to such extremes due to its high altitude, often clear skies and extremely dry air, which prevents heat from dissipating. At these temperatures, a human’s breath would instantly freeze. Although this part of the world is one of the most inhospitable, scientists there conduct vital research into climate and ice.
If Antarctica holds the prize for cold, it is in particular because it is located on a plateau with an average altitude of 2,800 meters. It is therefore much colder than the North Pole, which lies on a frozen sea. In winter, average temperatures drop to -60°C, while the North Pole “only” reaches -40°C. The ice at the South Pole also reflects sunlight without actually retaining it, which is why even in summer this region remains frigid.
While Antarctica holds the absolute cold record, other regions on Earth also experience incredibly low temperatures. Siberia, Russia is home to the city of Oymyakon, considered the coldest inhabited city in the world. Here in 1933 a record of -67.7°C was recorded. In this city, residents must adapt their daily lives to these extreme conditions: they wear fur clothing, eat foods high in fat, and their vehicles are often left on to prevent engines from freezing. Living in Oymyakon is challenging, but residents demonstrate great resilience in the face of their hostile environment.
Another striking example is Verkhoyansk, also in Siberia, where temperatures regularly drop below -50°C in winter. The city shares with Oymyakon the title of one of the coldest inhabited places in the world. In Canada, the village of Snag, located in the Yukon Territory, holds the country’s cold record with a temperature of -63°C in 1947. In Alaska, in Prospect Creek, residents also suffered a record of -62°C in 1971. These polar regions or near the poles, characterized by long and very harsh winters, are striking examples of the human capacity to adapt to extreme conditions.
In France, although temperatures do not drop as low as in Antarctica or Siberia, certain cities are still distinguished by their freezing cold. Langres, in Haute-Marne, is the coldest city in mainland France, with an average annual temperature of just 9.8°C. The cold record was recorded there on February 2, 1956, with -21.2°C. Other cities like Nancy, Épinal and Charleville-Mézières, located in regions with a continental climate, are also known for their harsh winters. However, the absolute cold record in France was measured in Mouthe, in Doubs, where the thermometer fell to -36.7°C in 1968 and even to -41°C in 1985, the year when winter was particularly harsh throughout France.
However, terrestrial temperatures are far from the records reached in space where vacuum reigns. Far from stars and therefore from their heat, temperatures can drop to -270°C, close to absolute zero at -273°C, the theoretical point where all molecular activity ceases. Close to Earth, the temperature varies from -180°C in the shadow of our planet to 122°C on the side illuminated by the Sun. Great variations which show that, despite its sometimes harsh climate, the Earth remains a temperate refuge compared to the absolute cold of the Universe.