Visiting the Coldest Places on Earth

Oymyakon, Russia, holds the title for the coldest inhabited place on Earth. This remote village is so frigid that it once achieved the dubious honor of breaking the mercury thermometer installed there to entertain and inform tourists. Despite the harsh conditions, the area's natural beauty is undeniable. The landscapes of the Sakha Republic are breathtaking—if you can handle the sub-zero temperatures, they're absolutely worth exploring. For those who dare, Oymyakon offers a unique glimpse into a world where the cold rules supreme.

Situated along the Mackenzie River, Fort Good Hope is a small community with a rich history rooted in the 19th-century fur trade. With a population of fewer than 600 people, mostly Indigenous, this area is not only one of the coldest places on Earth but also one of its most culturally rich. Accessible only via ice roads in the winter, Fort Good Hope is famed not just for its chilly climate but also for housing one of the world's most stunning Gothic Revival churches—a hidden gem in the frozen north.

Alaska's Denali, formerly known as Mount McKinley, is the highest peak in North America and one of its coldest points. The temperatures here can plummet to a staggering -99.4°F, creating an environment that challenges even the hardiest adventurers. Denali's extreme conditions are well-documented, making it a frequent subject of television documentaries. The state's notorious cold is matched by its majestic beauty, offering breathtaking views and unparalleled opportunities for high-altitude exploration.

Antarctica's Vostok Station is notable for recording the lowest temperature ever on Earth. This Russian research station is isolated in one of the coldest environments worldwide, where the mean temperature remains lower than anywhere else recorded. Although uninhabitable and intensely remote, Vostok Station plays a crucial role in scientific research, providing valuable data on Earth's coldest conditions—truly a place where science meets the extremes.

International Falls, Minnesota, is renowned for its icy winters, earning it the nickname "Icebox of the Nation." Situated on the border with Canada, this town experiences some of the coldest temperatures in the United States, rivaling the more famously frigid locales of Alaska and northern Canada. The community here is adapted to this harsh climate, with residents embracing the cold as a part of daily life and a defining feature of their hometown.

Snag, a small village in Canada's Yukon, recorded one of the lowest temperatures in North America at -81.4 °F in 1947. This former Gold Rush settlement and military airfield location embodies the extreme cold typical of Canada's northern territories. Today, Snag is a testament to the enduring nature of settlements in the face of overwhelming cold, and a reminder of the harsh conditions faced by historical inhabitants of the region.

Barrow, the northernmost city in the United States, sits well within the Arctic Circle and experiences some of the most severe cold anywhere in the country. This city, where residents largely depend on the Arctic Ocean for sustenance, faces an average of 80.5 snowy days each year, with record temperatures dropping to -56°F. Despite the warming trends associated with climate change, Barrow remains a stronghold of traditional Arctic life and culture.

Harbin, China, is famously known as the "Ice City" due to its long, harsh winters. It's not uncommon for the snow season here to stretch for more than half of the year. Despite the cold, Harbin is a bustling metropolis, home to a famous annual ice sculpture festival that draws visitors from around the globe, eager to see the incredible artistry that thrives even in the coldest conditions.

Winnipeg, located in the Canadian province of Manitoba, experiences some of the most brutal winters in North America, with temperatures historically plunging to -54°F. Despite these challenging conditions, Winnipeg remains a vibrant urban center, with a population that has learned to thrive in an environment where the winters are long and mercilessly cold.

Verkhoyansk competes with Oymyakon for the title of the coldest inhabited place on Earth. In this small Russian town, residents utilize the permafrost as a gigantic freezer for their food supplies. The town is also an unexpected tourist destination, attracting visitors eager to experience its record-breaking cold temperatures firsthand. Verkhoyansk exemplifies extreme survival, where daily life adapts to conditions that can seem almost otherworldly. The town's economy has been modestly buoyed by cold-weather tourism, which provides a rare economic boost to this remote community.