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Surviving Winter in Yakutsk, the World's Coldest City
Slate ^ | Jan. 31 2014 12:30 PM | Ella Morton

Posted on 02/06/2014 12:57:34 PM PST by Pan_Yan

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura.

To watch the sun rise during winter in Yakutsk, you need to set your alarm clock for 10:40 a.m. In late December, the sun will appear a few minutes later, softly illuminating a few scurrying, fur-clad forms on the snowy fog-filled streets.

Yakutsk, located in Yakutia, a republic in Siberia, is the world's coldest city. In January the mean temperature hovers around minus 40 F, but days in the negative 70s are not unheard of. At this level of coldness, it's best not to wear glasses outside—the metal freezes and sticks to your face, making it difficult to remove your specs without tearing off chunks of cheek.

The 270,000 residents of Yakutsk have a few key methods for surviving the unrelenting cold. The first is to spend as little time as possible outside.

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Travel; Weather
KEYWORDS: cold; russia; siberia; weather; yakutsk
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I grew up in Montana but I've lived down south for long enough that I'd be willing to try it for a few weeks. I'n not sure I could hang for a full winter, though.
1 posted on 02/06/2014 12:57:34 PM PST by Pan_Yan
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To: Pan_Yan

Siberian sushi, river fish caught in the winter are instantly flash frozen. Use a sharp knife and slice thin slices and wash down with vodka.


2 posted on 02/06/2014 1:03:03 PM PST by AU72
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To: Pan_Yan

I’ve lived through -39 in Bozeman, Montana once...

As they say, when we spoke, our words would freeze and drop to the ground, not thawing until Spring (read July). As the built up words thawed, it sounded like crowds of people shouting outside.


3 posted on 02/06/2014 1:03:18 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

It was 29 degrees in Atlanta this morning ... 50 higher than in Billings, MT where I grew up.


4 posted on 02/06/2014 1:04:20 PM PST by Pan_Yan (Who told you that you were naked? Genesis 3:11)
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To: Pan_Yan

I’m living in the frozen northeast....I’ll pass.


5 posted on 02/06/2014 1:04:36 PM PST by Ouderkirk (To the left, everything must evidence that this or that strand of leftist theory is true)
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To: Pan_Yan

270k is a LOT of people.

I visited Fairbanks AK last year and was surprised by how small it was.


6 posted on 02/06/2014 1:06:04 PM PST by nascarnation (I'm hiring Jack Palladino to investigate Baraq's golf scores.)
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To: Pan_Yan
Is Yakutsk still part of the “Risk” board game?

As I recall (from the 1960’s version), me and my junior high school pals would mass HUGE armies in Alaska and Yakutsk, and then engage in suicidal mass slaughters trying to break into Asia or North America on alternate turns.

7 posted on 02/06/2014 1:06:27 PM PST by zeestephen
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To: Pan_Yan

Yakutsk and Irkutsk - the only territories in Risk that never have a big battle. But they were always fun to pronounce.

8 posted on 02/06/2014 1:06:37 PM PST by kidd
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To: zeestephen
Your thinking of Kamchatka.
9 posted on 02/06/2014 1:07:25 PM PST by Pan_Yan (Who told you that you were naked? Genesis 3:11)
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To: Pan_Yan

Heh.

-40 to -70? Nope.

Reminds of a poem about the Kolyma Basin in Siberia, home of many a Gulag camp.

“Kolyma; wonderful planet.
Twelve months winter
The rest...summer.”


10 posted on 02/06/2014 1:07:33 PM PST by AnAmericanAbroad (It's all bread and circuses for the future prey of the Morlocks.)
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To: Pan_Yan

Stock up on fuel, food and on supplies for making alcoholic beverages and the winter just flies by whever you are.
And remember: no lawn mowing in winter!


11 posted on 02/06/2014 1:07:34 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
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To: Pan_Yan

You’re not your.

Dang it.


12 posted on 02/06/2014 1:07:53 PM PST by Pan_Yan (Who told you that you were naked? Genesis 3:11)
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To: Pan_Yan

Maybe we should send Al Gore there to warm things up.


13 posted on 02/06/2014 1:09:30 PM PST by SkyDancer (Live your life in such a way that the Westboro church will want to picket your funeral)
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To: Pan_Yan
Earlier this month I spent a night in city 200 miles north of Montreal and the temp went to -42 Celsius...which is something like -46F.I wanna tell ya...that's COLD! The gas station where I went to fill up told me their diesel pumps weren't working because it was too cold.
14 posted on 02/06/2014 1:09:34 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (Osama Obama Care: A Religion That Will Have You On Your Knees!)
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To: Pan_Yan
I had thought cities bordering on the Arctic ocean like Archangel, Murmansk or Barrow, Alaska would be the world's coldest. But Yakutsk has AVERAGE highs in December and January below -30. I guess its inland location and long distance from any large body of water makes for these temperature extremes.

What keeps people there beyond the fact that one-fifth of the world's diamonds are mined in the general vicinity?

15 posted on 02/06/2014 1:13:05 PM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Vigilanteman

I have no idea what employs 270,000 people in that place but now that you’ve asked I’ll have to look it up.


16 posted on 02/06/2014 1:15:59 PM PST by Pan_Yan (Who told you that you were naked? Genesis 3:11)
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To: Pan_Yan

It’s probably that cold in places in Nunavut, Canada. There are almost no cities in that province...


17 posted on 02/06/2014 1:24:06 PM PST by Disambiguator
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To: Pan_Yan
Doesn't look to bad... the forecast for today is a high of -36 degrees!

http://www.accuweather.com/en/ru/yakutsk/290150/weather-forecast/290150

18 posted on 02/06/2014 1:25:46 PM PST by Cementjungle
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To: Pan_Yan

Just checked Wunderground.com for several cool locales. Current temps are:

Yakutsk, Russia -45 F.
Ojmjakon, Russia -48 F.
Vostok, Antarctica -57 F.


19 posted on 02/06/2014 1:27:24 PM PST by Perseverando (Obamanation: It's ALL about PEOPLE CONTROL!)
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To: Pan_Yan

According to Wiki:

“Yakutsk is responsible for a fifth of the world’s production of diamonds,[6] and is home to ALROSA and other mining companies. The city is also home to a significant food industry, to tanneries, to sawmills, and to factories for building materials.[6]

Yakutia Airlines has its head office in the city.”

Lots of mining, fishing, milling, and, some industry. Decent looking town from the pictures. Decent enough looking town from the pics.


20 posted on 02/06/2014 1:28:55 PM PST by FAA
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