How cold is Antarctica?

Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth. The average temperature in the interior throughout the year is about -57°C, with the minimum temperature being -90°C during the winter season. Although the coast is warmer and temperatures can reach a maximum of between -2°C and 8°C during the summer. Near the coast, the temperature can exceed +10°C in summer and fall to below −40°C in winter.

The coldest temperature recorded in Antarctica was -89.6°C at Vostok station in 1983. The average winter temperature at the South Pole is about -49°C. Your home freezer is only about -15°C. The wind chill factor means that it can feel much colder.

January

January is the warmest month in Antarctica, during which average temperatures climb all the way up to 0 degrees in the Antarctic Peninsula. However, the average temperatures ranges from -10 degrees celcius to -60 degrees, depending on how far into the continent you travel.

What is the coldest month? Most commonly August and then July, sometimes September, it varies by location. What was the coldest ever temperature? Measured on the ground at -89.2°C (-128.6°C), at the Russian Vostok station on the 21st of July 1983.

There are about 4,000 people through the summer months and about 1,000 overwinter each year. Most residents of scientific stations do a “summer only” this is anywhere from 3-6 months, with a smaller number staying over the Antarctic winter (when any chance of transport in or out is virtually impossible).

These small settlements support populations of varying sizes, from as many as 1,300 to as few as six. The majority of scientists and support staff living in Antarctica stay for short term contracts of 3-6 months, although some stay for as long as 15 months (two summers and one winter).

Antarctica has six months of daylight in its summer and six months of darkness in its winter. The seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis in relation to the sun. The direction of the tilt never changes. But as the Earth orbits the sun, different parts of the planet are exposed to direct sunlight.

There are no commercial flights to Antarctica. Antarctica air cruise itineraries utilize one-way or round-trip flights from Punta Arenas, Chile, to the Antarctica Peninsula where guests board a ship. Flights to Antarctica utilize the airstrip at the King George Island Antarctica airport.

At the South Pole, the highest temperature ever recorded was −12.3 °C (9.9 °F) on 25 December 2011. Along the Antarctic Peninsula, temperatures as high as 18.3 °C (64.9 °F) have been recorded, though the summer temperature is below 0 °C (32 °F) most of the time.

At the South Pole, the highest temperature ever recorded was −12.3 °C (9.9 °F) on 25 December 2011. Along the Antarctic Peninsula, temperatures as high as 18.3 °C (64.9 °F) have been recorded, though the summer temperature is below 0 °C (32 °F) most of the time.

Eleven babies have been born in Antarctica, and none of them died as infants. Antarctica therefore has the lowest infant mortality rate of any continent: 0%. What’s crazier is why the babies were born there in the first place. These weren’t unplanned births.

Featured Photo by Derek Oyen on Unsplash