10 of the Coldest Villages on Earth
You might not even think of staying in an extremely cold place but there are people who find such places to be ideal places for living. It is good to be flexible considering the fact that weather keeps on changing from day to day. If it’s hot or cold, you should be able to stay at a place without any problems. When it comes to the cold weather, some places are worse than others making them completely volatile for living. Yet, you will find people there and they defy all odds to survive.
In this article, you will get to read about such villages where cold bites heavily but life continues normally for many people.
Vostok, Antarctica
This is a research centre in the Antarctica and is known to be extremely cold. August is the worst month where temperatures as low as −89.2°C have been recorded. The small station is submerged in ice for very long periods and services are usually crippled. It is one place you will dread visiting in case you are enemies with cold.
Plateau Station, Antarctica
Still in the Antarctica, this is the second in the list of coldest places on earth. This place is largely inactive after people who were living there fled to escape the wrath of the cold weather. July is the coldest month there with a temperature of -84°C has been recorded once. It is unthinkable to imagine that there are human beings who can thrive under such conditions.
Oymyakon, Russian
This Russian village is hard to recognize because it’s covered with snow. The climate there is mostly subarctic with the ground remaining frozen all year round. There is nothing like farming activities that can take place at this village. The lowest temperatures were recorded at the village back in 1924 at -71.2°C and the situation has never improved to date. It is said to be permanently habited but questions are usually raised on how such people survive.
Verkhoyansk, Russia
This is another cold place in Russia that you will dread visiting. Temperatures hit the lowest point during winter seasons while the transition between winter and summer has a huge temperature difference. It is among the Northern Pole of Cold together with Oymyakon. Temperatures of −69.8°C were recorded at the place in 1892 and that is the lowest mark ever.
North Ice, Greenland
Even the name of this place in Greenland tells a lot about the possible temperatures to encounter. It is ranked fifth globally in the coldest places with lowest temperatures recorded standing at -66°C. This village was at one time used to carry out research but remain deserted after the cold made it unbearable. Sand dunes covered by snow are visible and the white colour of the massive ice might scare you away.
Eismitte, Greenland
This adds to the number of cold places in Greenland that you need to avoid during your vacation. It is an ice centre, so never expect to get warm weather at any given time of the year. −64.9°C is the minimum temperatures that have been recorded at the village and there is no time of the year you can say temperatures are good. Whether its summer or winter, this place is still extremely cold.
Snag, Canada
You will locate this village in Yukon, Canada where life is not easy to manage. Due to the cold, you cannot find people doing agricultural activities to sustain their livelihoods. It is a place you must be prepared to wear heavy clothes throughout otherwise you might end up catching the flu or something worse. The worst month you can visit is January since temperatures reach the -63° C mark.
Prospect Creek, USA
At one time, this place in Alaska, USA recorded temperatures as low as −62°C so you know it’s not a good place to live if you like warmth. The settlement is very small covering around 180 miles to the north and 25 miles to southeast of the city. The weather is chiefly subarctic and it means winter seasons prolong for longer periods than expected. To the contrary, summers are too short therefore people are denied enough warmth to tone down the cold. Visitors there are very minimal just because of the low temperatures so there is a possibility of finding yourself alone if you visit.
Fort Selkirk, Canada
This is in Yukon, Canada and was originally used as a trading centre before people escaped the bitter cold. The village is located along the Yukon River and has not had people visible in big numbers since 1950. Even visitors who come there once, they vow not to return just because of the low temperatures. At the moment, you can only access this place and not live there. If you don’t believe it, you can give it a try and you will have a shocker of your life. Road accesses are absent as only a plane or boat can reach this place. January is the coldest of all months with the lowest ever temperature recorded being -59°C.
Rogers Pass, USA
This is a very cold village in Montana, USA and it sits at 5,610 feet above sea level. It sits at the continental divide and this is where the lowest ever temperatures in the entire United States was recorded in 1954. At that time, a severe cold wave hit Alaska and temperatures went as low as −57°C. Tourists are usually wary of this place when in the USA but those who come from countries with similar temperatures experience no problems.
Now that you know about some of the coldest villages in the world, you will have a peaceful time making the right choice on where to visit and where not to visit. Look at the temperatures as well as the coldest months when making the final choice.