Gary’s Q&A

Listener question & Gary’s response · Transcript passage

OctoberSky on Discord asks a similar question: What is the coolest temperature you have experienced? Was it in Antarctica? The coldest temperature I’ve ever experienced was not in Antarctica, and it’s not even close.

A few things to understand about Antarctica….. While it is true that the coldest temperatures on Earth have been recorded in Antarctica, those temperatures were recorded far inland, away from the coast, and during the summer hemisphere winter. Moreover, these locations in inland Antarctica are at very high elevations. The vast majority of tourists who visit Antarctica visit the Antarctic Peninsula, which lies mostly north of the Antarctic Circle and near the sea, and must do so during the summer. So, the temperatures in Antarctica really aren’t that bad if you visit. For example, the temperatures around me the last two weeks have been MUCH colder than they have been on the Antarctic Peninsula. As I’m recording this episode, the temperature at Port Lockroy, the British research base, is 33°F, while it’s 12°F here. When I was in Antarctica, I would go out on the deck of the ship just wearing a sweater. The temperatures weren’t bad.

The coldest I’ve ever experienced was in Whitehorse, Yukon, in the middle of the winter when the temperatures dipped to about -50F or -45C.

In 1996, it also dipped down to around -40F in the Twin Cities, which I remember because I made the bad decision to walk several blocks to a Target.

When things get that cold, you really shouldn’t even go outside, as the air can damage your lungs.