The coldest places on Earth are mostly found in areas where no one lives (or would want to live) — places like the tops of mountains and research stations in Norway, Russia, Canada, and Antarctica.
The East Antarctic Plateau on the South Pole, for example, has had some of the coldest temperatures on the planet. Researchers recorded on July 23, 1983 temperatures as low as minus 129 Fahrenheit, making the region the likely coldest place on Earth. But what about the places where harsh winters are actually endured by their inhabitants?
24/7 Wall St. reviewed the average temperature of the three coldest months at 2,712 weather stations around the world using data from The Global Historical Climatology Network-Monthly, a program of the North Atlantic Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to find the coldest inhabited places on Earth.
The average daily temperature for the coldest and warmest months at each station, as well as station elevation, also came from the NOAA. To avoid clustering of stations within the same climate regions, no stations within a 500-mile radius of one another were included. In a majority of cases, the names of weather stations were changed to better reflect their surrounding municipalities. All data is as of 2017.
We removed from this selection places with zero or close to zero inhabitants — places such as Prince Christian Sund, Greenland, for instance.
Still, as you might expect, the coldest inhabited places on the planet are relatively remote and sparsely populated. Oymyakon, Russia, will never be mistaken for a summer getaway. The Siberian village is the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth.
Click here to see the coldest inhabited places on Earth.
33. Karlstad, Sweden
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 30.1 °F
> Coldest month: February (29.1 °F)
> Warmest month: July (61.0 °F)
> Elevation: 180 feet
[in-text-ad]
32. Jönköping, Sweden
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 31.5 °F
> Coldest month: January (29.1 °F)
> Warmest month: July (59.2 °F)
> Elevation: 761 feet
31. Akureyri, Iceland
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 30.3 °F
> Coldest month: December (28.6 °F)
> Warmest month: July (54.9 °F)
> Elevation: 89 feet
30. Tallinn, Estonia
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 30.2 °F
> Coldest month: February (27.9 °F)
> Warmest month: August (61.0 °F)
> Elevation: 144 feet
[in-text-ad-2]
29. Lordstown, Ohio
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 32.0 °F
> Coldest month: December (26.9 °F)
> Warmest month: July (71.8 °F)
> Elevation: 900 feet
28. Elblag, Poland
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 30.1 °F
> Coldest month: January (26.4 °F)
> Warmest month: August (63.0 °F)
> Elevation: 141 feet
[in-text-ad]
27. Gardermoen, Norway
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 26.4 °F
> Coldest month: December (25.5 °F)
> Warmest month: July (59.9 °F)
> Elevation: 669 feet
26. Warsaw, Poland
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 30.8 °F
> Coldest month: January (25.3 °F)
> Warmest month: August (67.5 °F)
> Elevation: 351 feet
25. Bend, Oregon, United States
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 29.4 °F
> Coldest month: January (23.8 °F)
> Warmest month: July (69.3 °F)
> Elevation: 3,660 feet
[in-text-ad-2]
24. Vilnius, Lithuania
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 28.2 °F
> Coldest month: January (23.7 °F)
> Warmest month: August (63.3 °F)
> Elevation: 512 feet
23. Bialystok, Poland
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 28.8 °F
> Coldest month: January (23.7 °F)
> Warmest month: August (63.7 °F)
> Elevation: 495 feet
[in-text-ad]
22. Crater Lake, Oregon, United States
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 25.5 °F
> Coldest month: January (22.7 °F)
> Warmest month: August (59.0 °F)
> Elevation: 6,475 feet
21. Minsk, Belarus
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 27.0 °F
> Coldest month: January (21.7 °F)
> Warmest month: August (65.8 °F)
> Elevation: 758 feet
20. Poltava, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 27.9 °F
> Coldest month: January (21.4 °F)
> Warmest month: August (73.8 °F)
> Elevation: 525 feet
[in-text-ad-2]
19. Voronez, Russia
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 25.3 °F
> Coldest month: January (20.5 °F)
> Warmest month: August (70.9 °F)
> Elevation: 489 feet
18. Smolensk, Russia
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 24.7 °F
> Coldest month: January (19.4 °F)
> Warmest month: August (63.1 °F)
> Elevation: 784 feet
[in-text-ad]
17. Gar Ngari, Tibet, China
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 18.3 °F
> Coldest month: January (14.7 °F)
> Warmest month: July (59.0 °F)
> Elevation: 14,039 feet
16. Fortin Sgto Cabral, Antarctica
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 13.1 °F
> Coldest month: June (12.6 °F)
> Warmest month: February (34.2 °F)
> Elevation: -3,278 feet
[in-text-ad-2]
15. Râșnov, Romania
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 15.1 °F
> Coldest month: January (9.0 °F)
> Warmest month: August (47.5 °F)
> Elevation: 8,232 feet
14. Mortschach, Austria
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 10.8 °F
> Coldest month: January (7.2 °F)
> Warmest month: August (40.8 °F)
> Elevation: 10,200 feet
[in-text-ad]
13. Kars Merkez/Kars, Turkey
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 13.3 °F
> Coldest month: January (6.4 °F)
> Warmest month: August (70.2 °F)
> Elevation: 5,823 feet
12. Golmud, Haixi, Qinghai, China
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 11.2 °F
> Coldest month: January (6.3 °F)
> Warmest month: July (49.1 °F)
> Elevation: 14,879 feet
11. Karasjok, Norway
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 7.8 °F
> Coldest month: December (4.3 °F)
> Warmest month: July (56.1 °F)
> Elevation: 436 feet
[in-text-ad-2]
10. Aasiaat, Greenland
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 5.7 °F
> Coldest month: February (1.4 °F)
> Warmest month: July (43.3 °F)
> Elevation: 135 feet
9. Naryn, Kyrgyzstan
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 8.1 °F
> Coldest month: January (-0.6 °F)
> Warmest month: July (64.9 °F)
> Elevation: 6,696 feet
[in-text-ad]
8. Klyuchi, Kamchatka Krai, Russia
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: 9.2 °F
> Coldest month: January (-2.4 °F)
> Warmest month: July (60.6 °F)
> Elevation: 95 feet
7. Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: -8.2 °F
> Coldest month: December (-9.6 °F)
> Warmest month: July (57.9 °F)
> Elevation: 95 feet
6. Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenetskiy, Russia
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: -2.7 °F
> Coldest month: January (-9.9 °F)
> Warmest month: July (62.2 °F)
> Elevation: 52 feet
[in-text-ad-2]
5. Rock Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: -10.2 °F
> Coldest month: January (-12.8 °F)
> Warmest month: July (63.3 °F)
> Elevation: 1,214 feet
4. Baie-James, Quebec, Canada
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: -11.0 °F
> Coldest month: February (-18.0 °F)
> Warmest month: September (36.0 °F)
> Elevation: -3,278 feet
[in-text-ad]
3. Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: -16.3 °F
> Coldest month: February (-22.5 °F)
> Warmest month: July (48.9 °F)
> Elevation: 210 feet
2. Tosontsengel, Zavkhan Province, Mongolia
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: -18.3 °F
> Coldest month: January (-24.9 °F)
> Warmest month: July (62.8 °F)
> Elevation: 5,653 feet
[in-text-ad-2]
1. Oymyakon, Sakah Republic, Russia
> Avg. temperature of 3 coldest months: -47.0 °F
> Coldest month: January (-53.3 °F)
> Warmest month: July (56.3 °F)
> Elevation: 2,431 feet
Take Charge of Your Retirement In Just A Few Minutes (Sponsor)
Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance—and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor.
Here’s how it works:
- Answer a Few Simple Questions. Tell us a bit about your goals and preferences—it only takes a few minutes!
- Get Matched with Vetted Advisors Our smart tool matches you with up to three pre-screened, vetted advisors who serve your area and are held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Click here to begin
- Choose Your Fit Review their profiles, schedule an introductory call (or meet in person), and select the advisor who feel is right for you.
Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of. Click here to get started today!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
