Earth’s Cold Spots This Week: The 10 Coldest Places in the World

October 21, 2026 | By Paul Harrison | Orbis Weather

Antarctica continues to dominate the world’s coldest locations this week, with temperatures plunging below −60°C (−76°F) across the continent’s vast frozen interior. Meanwhile, Greenland has secured a place among the world’s ten coldest reporting locations as the Northern Hemisphere moves deeper into autumn.

The latest global temperature observations show just how extreme conditions remain across Earth’s polar regions. Despite the arrival of Antarctic spring, the high-altitude ice plateau continues to experience temperatures that would be virtually unsurvivable without specialized protective equipment and heated shelter.

For this week’s Orbis Weather Cold Spots report, we examine the ten coldest reporting locations in the latest available global 24-hour observation listing, including temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.

❄️ The 10 Coldest Places on Earth

Observed minimum temperatures during the 24-hour period ending October 21, 2026, at 16:00 UTC. This is a snapshot within the reporting week, not a completed seven-day ranking.

Source: Global Temperature Extremes — observations supplied through Ogimet. Rankings reflect available reporting stations and are subject to revision.

eldoradoweather.com

🧊 Antarctica: Earth’s Deep Freeze Continues

Dome A leads the global cold rankings

Dome A, also known as Dome Argus, recorded the lowest temperature in the latest observation period at −62.6°C (−80.7°F).

Situated high on the East Antarctic Plateau, Dome A is one of the most isolated and extreme environments on the planet.

Its extraordinary cold is caused by several geographical and atmospheric factors, including high elevation, persistent snow and ice cover, extremely dry air and strong radiative cooling.

Although Antarctica is moving toward its summer season, temperatures across the interior remain exceptionally low.

Concordia and Dome C II follow closely

Concordia Research Station recorded −60.0°C (−76.0°F), placing it second in the latest ranking.

Nearby Dome C II reported −58.9°C (−74.0°F).

These locations are important centers for scientific research, helping researchers understand Antarctic atmospheric conditions, climate variability and the behavior of the world’s largest ice sheet.

Vostok remains one of Earth’s coldest stations

Vostok Research Station recorded −57.1°C (−70.8°F), placing fourth.

Vostok also holds the internationally recognized record for the lowest directly measured air temperature on Earth:

The extraordinary reading illustrates how severely temperatures can fall across the Antarctic interior under favorable atmospheric conditions.

AGU Journals

🌍 Greenland Breaks Into the Top Ten

One of the most interesting results is the appearance of Greenland’s Summit Station in seventh place.

The high-elevation research site recorded −44.2°C (−47.6°F), making it the coldest reporting location outside Antarctica in this observation period.

Summit is situated on Greenland’s enormous ice sheet, where cold air, high elevation and persistent snow cover help produce extreme temperatures.

As October progresses, the Arctic is experiencing rapidly shortening daylight and seasonal cooling.

This transition will become increasingly important over the coming weeks as winter approaches across Greenland, northern Canada and Siberia.

🌡️ How the Coldest Locations Compare

🌬️ Why Is Antarctica Still So Cold in October?

October marks spring across the Southern Hemisphere, but Antarctica’s interior responds slowly to increasing sunlight.

Several important factors explain why temperatures remain extremely low:

• High elevation: Much of the Antarctic Plateau sits thousands of meters above sea level.

• Reflective ice: Snow and ice reflect a substantial portion of incoming solar radiation.

• Dry atmosphere: Very low atmospheric moisture allows the surface to lose heat efficiently.

• Geographical isolation: Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern Ocean, limiting the transport of warmer air into the interior.

• Seasonal lag: The massive ice sheet warms slowly even after daylight returns.

Research published in 2025 also found that parts of East Antarctica’s interior have experienced significant long-term warming, demonstrating that even the coldest regions of the planet are not immune to climate change.

Phys.org

🌎 What About Siberia, Canada and the Arctic?

Although Antarctica dominates this observation period, several Northern Hemisphere regions are entering their cold season.

Siberia, Russia: Oymyakon, Verkhoyansk and other locations in the Sakha Republic are famous for their extreme winter temperatures. Their coldest conditions typically occur during December, January and February.

Northern Canada: High Arctic communities and weather stations experience rapidly falling temperatures as polar night approaches.

Greenland: High-elevation areas of the Greenland Ice Sheet can experience severe cold throughout autumn and winter.

Over the coming months, these regions may appear more frequently among the world’s coldest reporting locations.

🔭 Global Cold Weather Outlook

Looking toward the remainder of October and early November, Orbis Weather will be watching three important developments.

First, Antarctica’s interior will gradually transition toward warmer summer conditions, although severe cold can persist at high-elevation research stations.

Second, Greenland’s ice sheet will remain an important location to monitor as Arctic winter strengthens.

Third, Siberia and northern Canada will become increasingly competitive in global cold rankings as longer nights and continental cooling allow temperatures to fall.

Actual rankings will depend on daily weather patterns and the availability of observations from remote stations.

❄️ Final Outlook: Antarctica Remains the Coldest Place on Earth

The latest observations reinforce Antarctica’s position as Earth’s most extreme cold-weather environment.

With Dome A recording −62.6°C (−80.7°F), the continent continues to produce temperatures far below anything normally experienced in inhabited regions.

Greenland’s appearance among the ten coldest reporting locations provides an early indication of the seasonal transition taking place across the Northern Hemisphere.

As the year progresses, Orbis Weather will continue tracking Earth’s coldest locations, comparing the latest observations and monitoring the changing balance between Antarctic and Arctic temperatures.

About This Report — Sources and Editorial Methodology

Author: Paul Harrison Publisher: Orbis Weather Published: October 21, 2026 Category: Global Weather / Temperature Extremes

This report was prepared using publicly available meteorological observations and scientific information.

The temperature ranking is based on a global 24-hour minimum-temperature listing dated October 21, 2026, at 16:00 UTC. It is not presented as a verified ranking of the lowest temperatures across the entire seven-day period.

Remote weather stations may report intermittently, and differences in observation times, station coverage and quality-control procedures can affect rankings. Missing measurements have not been estimated or presented as observed temperatures.

Reference sources:

• Global Temperature Extremes — Ogimet Observations

• World Meteorological Organization

• Australian Bureau of Meteorology — Antarctic Observations

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Orbis Weather distinguishes historical records from current observations and aims to provide accurate, clearly sourced global weather reporting. Corrections will be made when more complete or verified information becomes available