Which Pole Is Colder, North or South? The Numbers Behind It
What's the coldest place on Earth? The answer may surprise you!
Quick Reference
- Colder pole: The South Pole, by an average of about 30°F.
- South Pole average winter: -79°F. Record low -117°F, June 23, 1982.
- North Pole average winter: -30°F. Range -45°F to -15°F.
- Why: South Pole sits 9,000 feet above sea level. North Pole is sea ice over open ocean.
- Coldest spot on Earth: Vostok Station, Antarctica. -128.5°F on July 21, 1983.
Setting aside the legend of Santa Claus and his elves, the North Pole is a brutally cold, inhospitable place that has claimed the lives of countless explorers. Winter temperatures there run from about -45°F to -15°F, with an average around -30°F. Summer climbs to a balmy 32°F, just warm enough to begin melting the famous ice floes (saltwater has a lower freezing point than fresh water, so sea ice melts at or just below 32°F). The South Pole, however, leaves the North Pole in the warm dust.
The South Pole Is Much Colder
The South Pole averages -79°F in winter. The record low is -117°F, recorded on June 23, 1982. The record high is only 7.5°F. On any given day, temperatures at the South Pole average about 30 degrees colder than at the North Pole. The difference holds year-round, summer and winter alike.
Why the South Pole Is Colder
The answer is geography. The North Pole, by definition, sits at sea level. There is no solid land at the North Pole, only floating sea ice over the Arctic Ocean. The South Pole, by contrast, sits about 9,000 feet above sea level, on top of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is itself layered over the continent of Antarctica.
Higher elevations are colder than locations at sea level. Air thins with altitude and holds less heat. The North Pole also benefits from the ocean below the ice. Seawater acts as a giant insulator, holding solar heat through summer and releasing it slowly through winter, warming the air directly above. The South Pole has no such buffer. Its 9,000-foot elevation and lack of liquid water beneath the ice combine to keep it bone-cold all year.
| Measure | North Pole | South Pole |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | Sea level (sea ice) | ~9,000 ft above sea level |
| Surface | Floating ice over ocean | Ice over land |
| Average winter temperature | -30°F | -79°F |
| Average summer temperature | 32°F | -18°F |
| Record low | Approx. -45°F | -117°F (June 23, 1982) |
| Record high | Approx. 41°F | 7.5°F |
The Coldest Place on Earth Is Neither Pole
The coldest temperature ever recorded anywhere on Earth was -128.5°F at Vostok Station, Antarctica, on July 21, 1983. Vostok is a Russian research station roughly 800 miles from the geographic South Pole, sitting at an elevation of 11,444 feet. It is higher than the South Pole and colder on average, at -67.4°F, than the South Pole’s annual average of -56.4°F. Satellite data from NASA has since detected even lower surface temperatures, around -135°F, in remote pockets of the East Antarctic Plateau, but Vostok holds the official station record.
What This Means for North American Weather
The cold air locked over the Arctic and Antarctic does not stay there. When the Arctic polar vortex weakens or buckles, very cold air spills south into Canada and the U.S., producing the cold snaps that define memorable winters like 1983 and 2014. The Antarctic vortex is more stable thanks to the surrounding Southern Ocean and the geography of the continent itself, so Southern Hemisphere outbreaks are less common but can still hit South America and southern Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which pole is colder, north or south?
The South Pole is much colder, averaging about 30°F lower than the North Pole year-round. South Pole winter averages -79°F; North Pole winter averages -30°F.
Why is the South Pole colder than the North Pole?
Geography. The South Pole sits at 9,000 feet elevation on top of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, over solid land. The North Pole sits at sea level on floating sea ice, with the Arctic Ocean below acting as a thermal buffer.
What is the coldest temperature ever recorded?
The coldest official station reading was -128.5°F at Vostok Station, Antarctica, on July 21, 1983. NASA satellite data has detected even colder surface temperatures around -135°F in remote spots of the East Antarctic Plateau.
Does it ever warm up at the South Pole?
Briefly, in austral summer (December through February), temperatures climb to an average of around -18°F. The record high at the geographic South Pole is only 7.5°F. It has never been above freezing.
What is the polar vortex and how is it related?
The polar vortex is a band of cold air and low pressure that circles the polar regions year-round. When the Arctic vortex weakens, lobes of very cold air spill south into Canada and the U.S., producing the kind of winter cold snaps documented in December 1983 and February 2021.
Are the poles getting warmer or colder?
Both are warming on a multi-decade trend, though year-to-year variation is large. The Arctic is warming roughly four times faster than the global average. The Antarctic is warming more slowly and unevenly, with the West Antarctic Peninsula warming fastest.
Jaime McLeod
Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
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