It Gets Cold Here, But Nothing Like These Places!

With the wind and the rain and the cold temperatures, it was pretty nasty over the weekend. Some areas saw some snow. It’s a reminder that winter is close.

We’re known nationally for some pretty nasty winters, but our weather doesn't come close to what people in some other parts of the world experience.

The oil town of Barrow, Alaska is the northernmost city in the United States. The small city of less than 5,000 people is 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle. It’s built on permafrost that’s up to 1,300 feet deep. Barrow doesn't see the sun at all for the months of December and January. Its winters are brutal – cold and windy. The average temperature in Barrow doesn't get up freezing until June. And the average temperature for July is barely just above 40. You can only reach Barrow by air or by sea.

International Falls, Minnesota is annually the coldest spot in the 48 continental states. Know at the Icebox of the Nation on the border of the U.S. and Canada, the average temperature in January is around 3 degrees with at least 60 days of temperatures below zero. Add to that an average of 66 inches of snow each year.

But that’s nothing compared to Verkhoyhansk, Russia, deep in Siberia. It’s known for tin and gold mining and cattle breeding. About 1,500 people call it home. Average temperatures stay below freezing from October through April. The average temperature in January is 50 below zero. The all time record low was minus 90.

The world’s all-time lowest temperature was recorded at a Russian research station in Vostok, Antarctica where on July 21, 1983, it was winter in the southern hemisphere, and it was 128.6 degrees below zero.