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by Cameron Scott

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So it hit -10 degrees, and you thought it was cold this winter? True, exposed flesh can freeze in fifteen minutes at that temperature, even before factoring in the wind chill factor, but just imagine living in a place where spilled hot coffee freezes before it hits the ground, and you don't dare take a breath without a scarf because the air would freeze your lungs!

The coldest place on earth is the depths of Antarctica. We don't know exactly how cold it can get there, because we only have a few scattered stations inhabited year-round, but on July 21, 1983, Russia's Vostok Station measured a temperature of -89.2 degrees Celsius, the coldest temperature ever measured on this earth. Alone of all the species of the world, the emperor penguin chooses this place and this time of year to bring new life into the world, even though it is so cold that the eggs cannot be allowed to make contact with the ground for more than a few seconds, lest they freeze and crack and die.

After that, it shouldn't be surprising that second place also goes to a Russian city. For six months of the year, Siberia earns its reputation as a frozen wasteland, but some parts are definitely less habitable than others. Omyakon village, in eastern Siberia, has a full nine months of winter. During all that time, the AVERAGE temperature outside is -71.2 degrees Celsius.

Third place goes to Eismitte, on the Greenland glacier. During a year-long scientific expedition from 1930-31, European scientists found July to be the warmest month, with average temperatures of a cozy -12.2 degrees Celsius. However, in February, the temperature became a bit more chilly, averaging out at -47.2 degrees Celsius.

Fourth place goes to that other Great White North, Canada. The tiny village of Snag, located just south of Beaver Creek in the Yukon Territory, holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in North America. (No, not the Beaver Creek from Rick Mercer's "Made In Canada.") On February 3, 1947, thermometers plunged to -63 degrees Celsius. In fact, in January of both 2008 and 2009, the entire region from the Yukon Territory south to Winnipeg suffered through weeks of unrelenting -40 and colder overnight temperatures, and for a few days the wind speeds also hit 100 kilometres per hour. The Great White North is certainly earning its reputation this year.

Finally, we'll give an honourable mention to a pipeline camp in Prospect Creek, Alaska, for the coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States, when temperatures dropped to -62.1 degrees Celsius on January 23, 1971.

By comparison, most of Mars would be downright balmy!

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