Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Surviving Winter in Yakutsk, the World's Coldest City
Slate ^ | Jan. 31 2014 12:30 PM | Ella Morton

Posted on 02/06/2014 12:57:34 PM PST by Pan_Yan

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura.

To watch the sun rise during winter in Yakutsk, you need to set your alarm clock for 10:40 a.m. In late December, the sun will appear a few minutes later, softly illuminating a few scurrying, fur-clad forms on the snowy fog-filled streets.

Yakutsk, located in Yakutia, a republic in Siberia, is the world's coldest city. In January the mean temperature hovers around minus 40 F, but days in the negative 70s are not unheard of. At this level of coldness, it's best not to wear glasses outside—the metal freezes and sticks to your face, making it difficult to remove your specs without tearing off chunks of cheek.

The 270,000 residents of Yakutsk have a few key methods for surviving the unrelenting cold. The first is to spend as little time as possible outside.

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Travel; Weather
KEYWORDS: cold; russia; siberia; weather; yakutsk
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-44 next last
To: Pan_Yan

No thanks. I like the cool weather and all.

See, I said “cool”.

This is just ridiculous.


21 posted on 02/06/2014 1:30:16 PM PST by envisio (Its on like Donkey Kong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aMorePerfectUnion

1964.... 54 below.....Gunnison Colo.


22 posted on 02/06/2014 1:33:48 PM PST by ontap
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Vigilanteman

Yes, Yakutsk is the classic northern continental climate. It gets cold in the winter because there are no bodies of water to moderate the temperature.

It works that way in the summer, too. In July and early August, Yakutsk will get high temps in the 90s. In addition to being the coldest city on earth, it probably also has the largest range of annual high and low temperatures.


23 posted on 02/06/2014 1:35:16 PM PST by henkster (Communists never negotiate.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Pan_Yan

What the devil do they heat with???


24 posted on 02/06/2014 1:36:02 PM PST by ontap
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

I believe Fairbanks has around 55,000 people, making it the second biggest city in Alaska. None of the others even come close.


25 posted on 02/06/2014 1:40:35 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: FAA

And thus a safe place to be during the zombie apocalypse. Industry, civilization, infrastructure, fuel.


26 posted on 02/06/2014 1:42:58 PM PST by tbw2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

Yeah it’s smaller than Carmel Indiana, one of our suburbs.
It’s such a famous town I expected that it was bigger but as soon as landed at the airport I figured it out.


27 posted on 02/06/2014 1:44:25 PM PST by nascarnation (I'm hiring Jack Palladino to investigate Baraq's golf scores.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

Between “Alaska State Troopers” and “Buying Alaska”, we’re pretty much convinced that most of that state is a sh*thole.


28 posted on 02/06/2014 1:48:37 PM PST by ErnBatavia (The 0baMao Experiment: Abject Failure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: ErnBatavia

It’s a very unique culture, a lot of poor people and everything is expensive compared to the midwest.

And I can see where the winter with 20+ hrs darkness days can cause a multitude of problems.

Even here in Indiana with the harsh winter I saw an interview with the cops saying domestic disturbances are way up as people are cooped up indoors.


29 posted on 02/06/2014 1:53:27 PM PST by nascarnation (I'm hiring Jack Palladino to investigate Baraq's golf scores.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: ErnBatavia

“Between “Alaska State Troopers” and “Buying Alaska”, we’re pretty much convinced that most of that state is a sh*thole.

Television has a way of warping the brain.


30 posted on 02/06/2014 2:00:05 PM PST by Rebelbase (Tagline: optional, printed after your name on post)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Gay State Conservative

I lived in Prince Albert, Sask....it got to -42 there once...you can hardly breathe when outside....the neighbors had left sheets on the clothesline....couldn’t figure out why they didn’t take them in...someone told me...they would BREAK. Oh, and make sure you don’t forget to plug in your car!


31 posted on 02/06/2014 2:01:17 PM PST by goodnesswins (R.I.P. Doherty, Smith, Stevens, Woods.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Pan_Yan

Are you certain that the coldest city is not in Minnesota? I am getting cold just thinking about going outside again today. So, we are now in February and our average high temperature in Minneapolis now is about 27 degrees F - but all this week we are hovering around zero to 10 degrees F. By my math, that means we are about 20 degrees below normal all this week.

Not to worry though, because they are promising the temperature over the weekend will be warmer - all the way up to about 12-15 degrees.


32 posted on 02/06/2014 2:05:01 PM PST by Gumdrop
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pan_Yan

“If-you-thought-it’s-cold-where-your-are-just-think-if-you-lived-in-Yakutsk” bump.

Global Warming remains real -you’re hotter than Yakutsk.

/s


33 posted on 02/06/2014 2:08:02 PM PST by Justa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: envisio; Billthedrill

-15F near Spirit Lake this morning. Wind had a definite edge to it when I went out to do the chores. Horses all had frost in their whiskers. Wood stove did a great job of keeping us warm.


34 posted on 02/06/2014 2:15:20 PM PST by Noumenon (Resistance. Restoration. Retribution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer

Are you not familiar with the Gore Effect? The place sure wouldn’t get warmer.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gore_Effect


35 posted on 02/06/2014 2:29:48 PM PST by bigdaddy45
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: goodnesswins
I lived in Prince Albert, Sask...

Never been to Sask but I have been to Manitoba...a whole lotta flat land up there,that's for sure.As for my car,I was stunned by the fact that,although I couldn't plug it in,it started like a champ.It's a diesel so for the first half hour or so it sounded like a Mack truck though.Of course an entire winter like that would probably hurt the battery if you didn't plug it in.

36 posted on 02/06/2014 2:40:28 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (Osama Obama Care: A Religion That Will Have You On Your Knees!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Pan_Yan

Has to be wind temperature


37 posted on 02/06/2014 2:54:37 PM PST by SgtHooper (If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Noumenon
-15F near Spirit Lake this morning.

Had to run through there last weekend - somebody rolled an anhydrous ammonia tanker about a mile from my turn and I ended up driving to Newport and then to Priest Lake. In a snowstorm.

-5 in Moscow this AM. I don't know about yesterday because my outdoor sensor froze. I am not kidding. Cabelas sells fleece-lined jeans. Hooyah!

38 posted on 02/06/2014 3:10:17 PM PST by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill

Yeah fleece lined jeans are where it’s at. This is about the time when I get my fleece lined Carhartts down off the closet shelf. Even so, I pull on a Goretex shell over that to keep wind from cutting through.

Wind chills for the last couple of days have been in the -25 to -30 degree range at times. We kept the horses in yesterday for that reason.


39 posted on 02/06/2014 3:33:38 PM PST by Noumenon (Resistance. Restoration. Retribution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Pan_Yan

What fuels their economy?

I mean. you probably don’t have a thriving tourist economy supporting people.


40 posted on 02/06/2014 7:32:54 PM PST by KosmicKitty (WARNING: Hormonally crazed woman ahead!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-44 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson