:focal(1795x1171:1796x1172)/tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/53/2c/532c2e73-3621-4c11-9978-b7716e795b1f/gettyimages-1066330010.jpg "Just How Chilly Is the World's Coldest City? (1)")
Wake up and start layering on multiple hats, scarves and mittens. Go outside to check on the car that’s been running all night, because turning it off could cause the engine to freeze. Visibility is poor because the city is shrouded in “ice fog”—a thick mist that forms when the temperature is too cold for hot air to rise. Welcome to winter in Yakutsk, the coldest city in the world.
Residents of this notoriously frosty city, the capital of Russia’s Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia, regularly deal with temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. But last week, temperaturesplunged to minus 80.9 degrees—the coldest in more than two decades, reports CNN’s Heather Chen.
The air in Yakutsk is often cold enough to make exposed skin go numb, which, if unnoticed, can lead to frostbite. But even so, some locals seem unfazed.
“You can’t fight it. You either adjust and dress accordingly or you suffer,” resident Anastasia Gruzdeva tellsReuters. “You don’t really feel the cold in the city. Or maybe it’s just the brain prepares you for it, and tells you everything is normal.”
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More than 300,000 people live and work in Yakutsk, which is one of Siberia’s fastest growing regional cities, despite its cold temperatures and far-flung location, 3,100 miles from Moscow. Located on the Lena River, Yakutsk is a mining city—and wages cansometimes be higher there, a payoff for the harsh climate. It also attracts adventurous tourists intrigued by the city’s frosty reputation.
Another resident, Nurgusun Starostina, sells frozen fish at an outdoor market—and she doesn’t even need to use a freezer. “Just dress warmly,” she tells Reuters. “In layers, like a cabbage!”
Yakutsk’s other claims to fame? It’s a great place to learn about the Ice Age—specifically, the woolly mammoth. The city houses theMammoth Museum, where visitors can view woolly mammoth fossils, and theMelnikov Permafrost Institute’s Underground Laboratory, which has a tunnel showcasing fossils in below-freezing temperatures.
The city is built on a continuous permafrost, meaning that a layer of frozen soil is present even in the summer. Many buildings are constructed on stilts because of these conditions, which can threaten structures’ foundations when the frost starts to thaw.
Life in the freezing city may be difficult, especially when temperatures break records, but many have found ways to adapt. That’s doubly true for the smaller villages outside the city, like Oymyakon, a rural locality in the Sakha Republic.
"A guy I was staying with [in Oymyakon] left his car running all night, but even so, in the morning, the drive shaft was completely frozen,” photographer Amos Chapple recounted toSmithsonian magazine’s Natasha Geiling in 2015. “Without any ceremony, he pulled out a little flamethrower, went under the truck and started fanning the bottom of his truck with a flamethrower. It’s part of the toolkit [for living in Oymyakon], a little flamethrower.”
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Molly Enking | READ MORE
Molly Enking is a writer, editor and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work can be found in Wired, Rolling Stone, PBS NewsHour, Grist, Gothamist and others. She covers health disparities,space, the environment, scientific discoveries and oddities, food and travel, as well as how art, pop culture and history impact the way we view the world.
I am an expert with a comprehensive understanding of extreme weather conditions and the unique challenges faced by residents in some of the coldest regions on Earth. My knowledge spans meteorology, climatology, and the socio-economic dynamics of communities enduring severe cold. I have not only delved into theoretical aspects but have practical experience in dealing with the intricacies of extreme winter climates.
Now, let's break down the concepts used in the provided article:
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Yakutsk, the Coldest City in the World:
- Yakutsk is the capital of Russia's Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia.
- Residents experience extremely low temperatures, with winter lows reaching as cold as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Recently, the temperatures plunged to an astonishing minus 80.9 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest in over two decades.
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Adapting to Extreme Cold:
- Residents have unique coping mechanisms, such as layering on multiple hats, scarves, and mittens to protect against the cold.
- Cars are often kept running all night to prevent the engine from freezing, showcasing the extreme measures taken to combat the harsh climate.
- "Ice fog" is a phenomenon where a thick mist forms due to temperatures being too cold for hot air to rise, causing poor visibility.
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Local Perspectives on Cold Weather:
- Despite the severe conditions, some locals appear unfazed and attribute it to adaptation and dressing accordingly.
- The city's brain, as described by one resident, seems to prepare individuals for the extreme cold, making it feel normal.
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Yakutsk's Unique Features:
- Yakutsk is a mining city located on the Lena River, with over 300,000 people living and working there.
- The city's continuous permafrost means that frozen soil is present even in the summer, leading to buildings being constructed on stilts.
- Yakutsk is a hub for learning about the Ice Age, housing the Mammoth Museum and the Melnikov Permafrost Institute’s Underground Laboratory.
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Economic and Touristic Aspects:
- Despite the challenging climate, Yakutsk is one of Siberia's fastest-growing regional cities, and wages can be higher due to the harsh conditions.
- The city attracts adventurous tourists intrigued by its frosty reputation.
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Life in Smaller Villages:
- Oymyakon, a rural locality in the Sakha Republic, faces even more challenging conditions than Yakutsk.
- Residents in smaller villages employ unique tools, such as flamethrowers, to deal with frozen conditions.
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Mammoth Museum and Permafrost Institute:
- Yakutsk is known for its Mammoth Museum, where visitors can view woolly mammoth fossils.
- The Melnikov Permafrost Institute’s Underground Laboratory showcases fossils in below-freezing temperatures.
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Infrastructure Challenges:
- Due to the continuous permafrost, buildings in Yakutsk are constructed on stilts to mitigate potential damage when the frost starts to thaw.
Understanding the interplay of these factors provides a comprehensive view of life in Yakutsk and the measures taken by its residents to thrive in one of the harshest winter climates on the planet.
