We have already seen some cold days these last few weeks, but the coldest of the season still awaits us. As we brace for temperatures to drop in the coming months, what kind of cold should you be expecting? And what are the lowest temperatures our planet has ever experienced?Â
-128.6ºF is the coldest temperature recorded on Earth. You can probably guess that happened in Antarctica - Vostok, Antarctica, to be exact, on July 21, 1983. In 2011 the World Meteorological Organization confirmed that to be the coldest measurement on record and explained the weather setup that brought such cold to the area. "Extreme cold resulted from absence of solar radiation, clear skies, little vertical mixing, calm air for a long duration and the station's high elevation," via Arizona State University.
The record for the Northern Hemisphere is -93.3ºF which happened on December 22, 1991, in Greenland.Â
In Louisville the National Weather Service reports the lowest temperature ever measured (officially) was -22°F on January 19, 1994.
Now you can use this trivia to impress your friends at the next holiday gathering!Â
