It's Cold Outside Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sakha Republic

The largest political territory of Russia, Sakha Republic contains a large chunk of what is considered Siberia and, as such, it experiences some of the coldest winters on the globe. Verkhoyansk, considered by many to be one of the Poles of Cold on the Earth, can drop as low as a record-breaking seventy Celsius below.

Although the city of Yakutsk is the closest, Verkhoyansk is actually quite remote. It's also, obviously, cold. Like, cold in a horrible way. The average temperature during the winter can be as low as forty below (Celsius).

The summer, however, can be quite balmy; the temperature can rise to the low twenties.

Answer: Minnesota

International Falls, a short drive across the border bridge at Rainy River in Fort Frances, Northern Ontario, has been said to be home to some of the lower U.S.' coldest temperatures during wintertime, when average lows can reach as far down as minus twenty Celsius.

The gateway to the historical Voyageurs National Park, the small town actually went to court against a small Colorado town to stake claim to the moniker 'Icebox of the Nation'. Seems like the thing to fight for.

Answer: Norway

Hell, Norway is a clever name considering its propensity for freezing over; Hell experiences regular temperatures of twenty-five below (Celsius) in the winter. A forty minute drive east from Trondheim, Hell is seven hours (at least) north of the southern coast of the country. Of particular notoriety is the town's train station, the site of an annual blues festival.

As you pull into Hell, Norway on the train from Trondheim you'll get a friendly 'Welcome to Hell'. It's the type of thing that deserves a bumper sticker.

Answer: Yukon

The snag about this place is that it was settled during the times of the Yukon Gold Rush, and, unwittingly and in a frenzy for prospecting, the original citizens decided to build in the bottom of a geological bowl surrounded by mountains. About fifty kilometers from the nearest town (Beaver Creek on the Alaskan Highway) and four hundred and fifty from Whitehorse, the territory's capital (if you're lucky), Snag has experienced temperatures dipping as low as sixty-three below zero (Celsius). That temperature was recorded in the 1940s; the village has been closed since. Can't imagine why.

Answer: Astana

Although warm during the short summertime, Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, experiences positively chilling winter temperatures which can regularly dip into the minus thirties (Celsius) due to the region's arid steppes and high winds. Although the country's relatively central location in Eurasia makes it a surprising choice for a cold spot, its spot next to the Caspian Sea, its mountainous regions, and distance from the sea make it work. Astana became capital in the 1970s, partly because of the access provided by the Ishim River which actually freezes over for nearly half the year.

Answer: True

While Eastern Argentina does find itself on the hot side of the scale, the Western side, shared with Chile, contains the snaking Andes Mountains which crawl their way southward to Tierra del Fuego. As you make your way down into the beautiful Patagonian regions you'll find the coolness (which directly leads onto the warm Pampas).

The cool air from Patagonia flows northeast which, actually, is where the coldest temperature in South America was recorded-- minus thirty-eight Celsius in Valle de los Patos Superior.

Answer: Ulan Bator, Mongolia

Ulan Bator is the capital of landlocked Mongolia and, after many years of nomadic rebuilds, its permanent home became stuck at the base of a mountainous region, right in the center of an arid valley. As such, Ulan Bator experiences colder temperatures than more northerly capital cities (like Moscow, Ottawa, and Reykjavik).

In the winter, the temperature can drop to a low in the minus thirties (Celsius) in the night. The city is primarily used for culture and industry and, evidently, experiencing a bitter cold.

Answer: Denali

It's cold here, and with reason. Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, is over twenty thousand feet high, towering over the Alaskan landscape. Part of the Denali National Park and Preserve, it's quite difficult to access unless you're heading up to Central Alaska for any reason, and the mountain itself is relatively inhospitable.

At points, with wind, the temperature can drop below minus eighty degrees (Celsius), so climbers can be in for a bit of a shock. While one would expect Vinson Massif in Antarctica to be colder, it's not actually-- climbers of Vinson Massif are likely to ascend during the continent's more favourable sunny season and temperatures will *only* drop to thirty below...which isn't *THAT* bad.

Answer: Kenya

Prepare to be shocked! The lowest recorded temperature in equatorial Kenya is a staggering two degrees Celsius! The agony! To be fair, however, this surprising low comes at a location where climate remains relatively steady year-round. The average high during a day in Nanyuki is above twenty degrees, so a variance reaching that low can be damaging to crops and, to say the least, surprisingly brisk. Nanyuki can be reached from Nairobi via train; it's home to the country's Air Force.

It's the last town on most peoples' trips to Mount Kenya and, conveniently, a couple of kilometers walk from the Equator.

Answer: Vostok

Vostok Station is not hospitable for most and, to be fair, only a few scientists reside there at any given time. The temperature never goes above zero Celsius-- even the record high in the Antarctic 'summertime' was nothing more than a stifling twelve below.

A research station developed to study the Earth's magnetic sphere and the ice of Antarctica, Vostok is near the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility, making it all the more frightening considering the consequences if you have frostbite. If you're looking to enjoy the local tourism, you might consider relaxing on the shores of Lake Vostok...or at least you would if it weren't four kilometers below the surface of the ice. Maybe next year?