Welcome to Oymyakon, the coldest town on Earth

Is the summer heat getting you down?

Does the nonstop sun on your skin when you’re outside make you want to plant yourself in front of the air conditioner and never leave? Well, we’ve got just the feature for you…

So you want to visit Oymyakon?

It won’t be easy. Planes won’t go anywhere near there, and anyway, it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere. You’ll have to fly to a city that’s 500 miles (900 kilometers) away, and then drive along highways and take ferries and then rocky, gravel Siberian roads that’ll leave your car covered in dust.

But better dust than ice — because all you’re going to see when you make it to Oymyakon is white.

Welcome to Oymyakon, the coldest town on Earth.

Temperatures here in January often go much lower than –50°F (–45°C)! The coldest it’s ever gotten is lower than –90°F (–67.8°C). That’s so cold that the air will sting your skin if you don’t cover it outside, and any wetness on your lips feels like frozen needles pricking at your skin. If you cry, the tears might freeze on your cheeks. And don’t even try going out with wet hair! Oymyakon hasn’t had a single day that wasn’t freezing between November and mid-March in recorded history.

Life in Oymyakon is very different than life where you live!