The World's 7 Coldest Cities: Your Ultimate Winter Survival Guide

This Siberian village holds the record for the lowest temperature in a permanently inhabited settlement, hitting -67.7°C in 1933. Engines are left running 24/7 to prevent freezing, and the ground is so hard that graves must be thawed with bonfires before digging. Located in the Arctic Circle, Verkhoyansk recorded a bone-chilling -67.8°C in February 1892. It is famous for having the widest temperature range on Earth, swinging from extreme sub-zero winters to sweltering summers of over 30°C. Built entirely on continuous permafrost, Yakutsk is home to over 300,000 people and recorded a low of -64.4°C in 1891. Locals survive on a diet rich in meat and fish to maintain body heat, and open-air markets sell frozen fish standing upright like baguettes. One of the world's northernmost cities, Norilsk experiences temperatures as low as -53.1°C and is accessible only by air or sea. It is famous for its massive nickel mines and 'black blizzards', where violent winds and snow reduce visibility to zero for days. The capital of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife recorded a historic low of -51.2°C in 1947. It is renowned for its crystal-clear viewing of the Northern Lights and its 'ice road' truckers who drive over frozen lakes to supply remote diamond mines. Astana is the second-coldest national capital by average temperature, but its record low of -51.6°C is formidable. The city’s modern architecture is designed to withstand brutal steppe winds that can plunge the wind chill factor well below freezing for months.