Forget India’s cold wave: Which place holds the record for the coldest temperatures on Earth?

The cold wave has kicked in, and it is chilling people to their bones across most northern parts of India. During these chilly times, people even find it hard to get out of their quilts and blankets, but it is hard to imagine what it must feel like to live at high altitudes and in places with almost freezing temperatures!Imagine stepping outside into a world so cold your breath freezes mid-air, where metal shatters like glass, and survival feels like a miracle.There are such fascinating places on Earth with extreme cold temperatures that fascinate us because they push the boundaries of life and physics, setting an example of how wild our planet can be.So, what is the coldest place on Earth, and does life exist there?

While the first thought for the coldest place on Earth would be Antarctica with its vast ice sheets and brutal isolation, where the temperatures plummet to sub-zero, the coldest temperature ever recorded on the planet was actually found there!

Official coldest temperature ever recorded

The crown for Earth’s chilliest verified reading goes to Vostok Station in Antarctica’s remote East Plateau.

On July 21, 1983, thermometers plunged to -89.2°C (-128.6°F), a mark set by Soviet researchers. High altitude, bone-dry air, and still nights let heat radiate away unchecked, creating ideal freezing conditions.The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed this as the official record, measured by ground instruments, and no satellites were involved. It beat prior lows like Antarctica’s Plateau Station at -87°C in 1960.

Satellites tell a different story

Satellites have spotted air temperatures near -94°C and ground surfaces hitting -98°C on Antarctica’s Eastern Plateau. NASA’s MODIS and Landsat sensors captured these in 2010 and 2013, like a -93.2°C air low over the ridge.However, this still remains unofficial because there were no on-ground thermometers confirming them, and satellites measure radiance, estimating temperatures indirectly. These beat Vostok by 5–9°C but don’t remove it from the official status.

The coldest inhabited city

Oymyakon, a tiny Siberian village in Russia’s Sakha Republic, is said to be the coldest permanently inhabited city on the planet. It logged -67.7°C in February 1933, as recognised by Guinness World Records. Around 500 residents endure nine-month winters, with rivers freezing solid and indoor plumbing impossible, where only ovens heat homes.Schools shut only below -55°C; kids bundle up for classes. Yakutsk, 900 km away, hits -64.4°C, as the capital of Russia’s Sakha Republic in Siberia.

Siberia’s permafrost and Arctic blasts make it brutal, yet people live on reindeer meat and saunas.

Other extremely cold places

Beyond Vostok and Oymyakon, there are other places with freezing temperatures as well. Antarctica’s Dome Argus (Dome A) routinely dips to -82°C, while Plateau Station hit -79.8°C for 127 straight days in 1960. Greenland’s Summit Camp reaches -70°C.In the Arctic, Canada’s Eureka (-64.4°C, 1924) and Norway’s Sveagruva (-51.4°C) compete, but nothing touches Antarctic lows. Verkhoyansk, Russia, reached as low as -67.8°C in 1891, nearly matching Oymyakon as an inhabited contender.