While the earth rotates in its orbit, there are a lot of factors that change on its surface for its inhabitants with its spin. Climate is one such thing that has started to change rapidly than ever before, say scientists.
Adding more to its cadence, not all climates across different geographical regions in the planet are the same. They vary to a greater degree. Some places may not see the winter season throughout the year and some places would be extremely cold that people hardly spent a few minutes out of their warmed-up shelter.
In this post, we would see five places that have some of the lowest temperatures during the winter season. They are not listed in any order.
Fort Good Hope, Canada
This is home to a population of 559 people in the Northwest Territories of Canada with the lowest temperature of -61.7° C recorded during the New Year’s Eve of 1910.
Despite its frigid weather, the population enjoys facilities such as 4G services, satellite televisions and 2 radio stations. There are three educational institutes offering some form of education, and a hotel that is run by its inhabitants. This place is also famous for the church of Our Lady of Good Hope.
Snag, Yukon, Canada
Having recorded -63° C on 3rd February 1947, Snag holds the record of the lowest temperature in North America and is the coldest place in Canada. Observations including sound travels farther in dense, cold air were made by the inhabitants of Snag during this day.
An aircraft – USAF Douglas C-54 Skymaster- went missing before making the last contact when it was flying above Snag on 26th January 1950, and has never been found thereafter.
Yakutsk, Russia
The capital city of Sakha Republic with a population of nearly 300,000 people, produces one-fifth of the world’s diamonds. In February of 1891, the temperature of the largest city that is built on permafrost dipped to -64.4° C.
Summer in Yakutsk lasts for 5 months with an average temperature reaching 30° C making the city one among those with the greatest seasonal temperature differences.
During winter, people prefer not to stay out for more than 10 to 15 minutes and avoid wearing glasses that can stick to the skin. Had the Sakha Republic been not a federal subject of Russia, the city would be the coldest among the national capitals and major cities in the world.
Verkhoyansk, Russia
The temperature hitting -67.7° C in 1892, it would take three days to dig the ground for burying the dead in Verkhoyansk, where summer comes as a surprise, according to one of its inhabitants.
Nicknamed ‘Stalin’s death ring’ – as it used to be a the destination for political exiles – the town has nearly 1400 people and quite a few people commit suicide notwithstanding the cruelties of winter.
The temperature during January equals Mars’ average annual temperature and the visitors of the city are welcomed with a structure that reads ‘the pole of cold’. Houses meant for living can be split when the ice beneath them cracks and the temperature has never crossed above the freezing point between November 10 and March 14.
Oymyakon, Russia
On 6th February 1933, the coldest inhabited village on earth recorded a temperature of -67.7° C, equivalent as Verkhoyansk.
The temperature can go as low as -71.2° C and there is no possibility of any vegetation growing lush and hence the diet in Oymyakon is primarily reindeer and horse meat. With a population of 500 people, the town is one of the contestants for the Northern Pole of Cold along with Verkhoyansk and Eismitte in Greenland.
There is only a single shop in the village that meets the needs of the inhabitants and a school that remains open unless the temperature drops below -52° C. During December, the day time lasts for 3 hours and during summer it goes up to 21 hours.
Image courtesy: Bloomberg. The image shown is Yakutsk, Russia
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