Some cities have no trouble dealing with winter, while others are probably wishing this particular time of the year to cease existing. The coldest cities in the world are located in the far northern latitudes and often have to deal with the brutal arctic air that sends temperatures down to double digits below zero.
Residents of these cities have to endure some of the longest and most difficult winter seasons on a yearly basis. Take a look at the 5 coldest cities in the world.
Start things off with the city of Dudinka, which is located along Russia's Yenisei River. The city has a population of 20,000 and is one of the world's northernmost cities, thereby making it an easy target for brutal winters. The average minimum temperature for this city during the month of January is minus 28 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 33 degrees Celsius. The average high temperature is minus 12 F or minus 24.5 C.
A powerful winter storm that occurred several years ago caused many areas of the city to literally freeze over. The weather became so bad that the cars became encased in several feet of snow and ice.
The next city on our list is located in the northernmost region of China that is so cold during the winter that it has been nicknamed "Ice City" by its residents. The city of Harbin is located in China's Heilongjiang province and is home to 10 million people. Winter weather and the city have practically become linked with one another as it hosts the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, one of the world's largest ice festivals. Temperatures as low as minus 44 F have been recorded in Hardin.
Head over to the capital of Canada's Manitoba region: Winnipeg. It is one of North America's coldest major cities and is home to 715,000 people. Temperatures during January usually drop to minus 5 to 9 F, but the city has experienced some of the coldest winters in its history with temperatures dropping to as low as minus 54 F back on December 23, 1879.
For the fourth city on the list, head back to Russia where Yakutsk is located. It is the capital of Russia's Sakha Republic and experiences some of the harshest winters in the world. The city is situated just about 200 miles from the Arctic Circle and has a population of 282,400 people. While the city often experiences cold weather due to its geographical location, it is during January when the temperatures can be truly unforgiving.
Winter temperatures here often drop to minus 38 to minus 42 F, and the city's all-time record low temperature is minus 83 F, which took place back in 1891. And for the final city, the city of Yellowknife located in Canada's Northwest Territories is approximately 320 miles from the Arctic Circle and is located on the shore of the Great Slave Lake.
It has a population of more than 20,000 people that was officially given the title of the coldest city in Canada in 2014. Normal lows can reach at least minus 26 F during the months of January due to the city's sub-arctic climate. The record low temperature for this city is minus 60 F which happened back on February 1, 1947.
