Coldest Place in the World Where Humans Live: An Average of −50°C

Have you ever heard of the coldest place in the world where humans live? In February 1993, this place recorded an unbelievable temperature of -89.9°F (-67.7°C). Surprisingly, people have lived there for many years. Check out this article to get the answer and learn a lot of interesting facts about this place, including its type of climate, the life of local people, and other weather facts.

Where is the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth?

Where Is the Coldest Place in the World Where Humans Live?

The coldest place on earth where humans live is Oymyakon, a remote village in the Oymyakonsky District of Sakha Republic, Russia. It is situated north of the Sea of Okhotsk. 

This small village is famous for its frightful cold and is known as the Northern Pole of Cold. The average winter temperature here hovers around -50°C. 

Therefore, daily living in Oymyakon is an ongoing fight against the cold. Even basic tasks like starting a car necessitate specific approaches. 

Continue reading to get more information about this world coldest place on earth where humans live!

► See also: What is the weather in North Pole & the climate in the Arctic?

Oymyakon is the world coldest place where humans live

Interesting Facts about Weather in Oymyakon

Oymyakon is the coldest place in the world where humans live. The temperatures here remain low year-round, especially during winter.

Weather Patterns

Oymyakon has an extreme subarctic climate. The winters there are long and frightfully cold, while summers are mild to warm, even sometimes hot. 

The temperatures there can reach up to 86°F (30°C) during the day in June, July, and August. But they are super cold during winter. Besides, it has never recorded a temperature above freezing between 25 October and 17 March. 

Oymyakon has an extreme subarctic climate

• Average temperatures

According to the climate data for Oymyakon between 1981 and 2010, the annual average temperature was 4.1°F (-15.5°C). 

December, January, and February are the coldest months of the year, while Jun and July are the warmest months in Oymyakon. Due to its super harsh cold, Oymyakon is never among the best weather places, right?

The average temperature in January is -58°F (-50°C), but this number can reach 58.8°F (14.9°C) in July, the middle of summer. Surprisingly, Oymyakon recorded the highest temperature ever, 94.3°F (34.6°C), on July 28, 2010.

December, January, and February are the coldest months in Oymyakon

• Average precipitation

On average, Oymyakon receives 8.5 inches (215 millimeters) of precipitation per year. Precipitation in Oymyakon takes two main forms: rainfall and snow. This area has an average of up to 156 snow days, mainly from October to March. 

There are also up to 52 rainy days each year in the coldest place humans live. Notably, there aren’t any snow days in Oymyakon in July and August.

• Average relative humidity

The humidity in Oymyakon is quite high all year round. The average relative humidity here is 71 percent. Winter months often have higher humidity than summer months. 

What makes Oymyakon so cold?

Though there are summer days when temperatures in Oymyakon go up to 86°F (30°C) and above, winters always come with harsh cold and unusually low temperatures. It’s no coincidence that Oymyakon is the coldest human inhabited place on earth.

So, what makes Oymyakon so cold? Well, the answer is its geography.

Oymyakon is located in a valley

Oymyakon is far north (though not the farthest north point of Siberia). It is also located in a valley, which is one of the main reasons it attracts unusual cold. 

This valley (and almost every valley in the world) is a magnet for inversions, a process in which cold air sinks to the floor while warm air rises and acts as a cap. 

► See also: What is the weather and climate in Antarctica like?

Do people really live in Oymyakon?

Over the previous few decades, Oymyakon's population has declined substantially. The community had a peak population of around 2,500, but that figure has since dropped to approximately 500 full-time residents.

In Oymyakon, schools are closed when the temperatures drop below -61.6°F (-52°C). Keep reading on to learn additional facts about Oymyakon!

There are about 500 inhabitants in Oymyakon

Other facts about Oymyakon and locals’ lives

Below are more fascinating facts about the coldest place in the world where people live that you might not know:

1. Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon are the only two inhabited places on Earth that have recorded temperatures below -76°F (-60°C) every day in January.

2. July and June are the only months when the temperature in Oymyakon has not dropped below 14°F (-10°C).

3. Despite the extremely harsh weather conditions, life is quite normal in Oymyakon.

4. The Oymyakon villagers survive the exceptionally cold winters mainly by burning coal and wood for warmth.

5. Daytime and nighttime vary according to the changing seasons. In winter, daytime lasts just about 3 hours, but in summer, it can be as long as 21 hours.

6. There aren’t any hotels in Oymyakon, and only one school in the village.

7. No commercial farming takes place in Oymyakon. A single shop serves the entire village, and the residents can only buy what they need there.

8. Street vendors in Oymyakon don’t need to refrigerate their meats, fish, or seafood since the air temperature is more than enough to keep them safe until they can be sold.

9. No crops can be grown in Oymyakon during winter. Locals mostly depend on reindeer meat, horse meat, fish, and milk for their food requirements.

10. The daily wears of Oymyakon inhabitants are clothes made out of furs. They wear fur hats, fur boots, and fur coats made of reindeer skin to keep the body warm.

There is no commercial farming taking place in Oymyakon

Other Coldest Human Inhabited Places On Earth

Besides Oymyakon - the coldest place on earth where humans live in winter, other inhabited places worldwide also have freezing weather:

• Yakutsk, the capital of Yakutia: The winter months in Yakutsk are often below freezing. Notably, its January temperatures are, on average, around -41.1°F (-42°C).

• Harbin, Heilongjiang, China: January is also the coldest month in this city, with mean temperatures between 8 and -12°F (between -13.3 and -24.4°C). This city also has one of the world’s largest ice festivals.

• Dudinka, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia: Dudinka is one of the world’s most northern towns. In January, the average daily temperatures in Dudinka are between -28 and -12°F (between -33.3 and -13.3°C)

• Other inhabited places with frightfully cold weather include Fraser (Colorado), Fairbanks (Alaska), Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Nursultan (Kazakhstan), Naryn (Kyrgyzstan), and more.

Yakutsk is one of the world coldest place where humans live

Wrapping Up

Along with Oymyakon, this writing also included other inhabited places well-known for their harshly cold weather. That’s all for today’s article, “Where is the coldest place in the world where humans live?” If you have any further questions, write down below to let us know!