25 Coldest Cities In the World

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In this post, we list and discuss the 25 Coldest Cities In the World. If you would like to skip our discussion of the global climate and temperature, you can go directly to 10 Coldest Cities In the World.

According to NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) scientists, the Earth’s temperature has increased by at least 1.1° Celsius (1.9 °F) since 1880. Over 144 years, a 1 °C change may seem small — a 1 °C change in a country or city’s temperature is merely noticeable. 

Despite the rise in global temperature and global warming happening for over a century, there are some places on Earth so cold that habituating them is impossible for humans. The AGU’s geophysical research finds that the East Antarctic Plateau regularly reached snow surface temperatures of −98 °C and below between 2004 to 2016. Living in such harsh weather conditions, especially in winter, is unbearable for ordinary civilians. During Summer, however, up to 5,000 scientists and researchers live in the East Antarctic Plateau. The number drops to 1000 in winter. There are also some permanently inhabited places where the temperature often falls drastically below the freezing point. Oymyakon, a small village in Russia, is the coldest inhabited place where the temperature touches −71.2 °C (−96.2 °F). The village has a population of around 500 people. 

Does the presence of these places nullify the existence of Global Warming? No. Over time, the term Global Warming has been used interchangeably with Climate Change. However, in essence, Climate Change is the umbrella term under which Global Warming resides. According to scientists, Global Warming is causing Arctic regions to warm up four times faster than the rest of the planet. As a result, the band of air that circles the Arctic and keeps the Arctic air restricted within the northern regions – the polar jet stream – is weakening and allowing frigid air to escape more easily into the South. 

A 2017 study by Nature Geoscience concluded that due to this phenomenon, North America will see harsher winters in the future. Another study conducted by Nature Communications in March 2018 concluded the same but also added that the northeastern portion of the U.S. will face the harshest impact. (See: 25 Coldest Cities in the US) All in all, there is a blatantly evident link between Global Warming, Climate Change, and the rise and fall of global temperatures. Scientists predict that by 2100, extreme and deadly weather conditions will see an increase of 50%.

Countries like Russia, Canada, and Norway often experience harsh weather conditions in winter, with frigid temperatures, strong winds, and heavy snowfall. For citizens and visitors alike, these situations can get extremely difficult to endure. Moreover, snow and icy roads combined with harsh cold winds pose significant driving hazards, which, as a result, negatively affect a country’s economy and disrupt logistic activities.