Is the winter weather getting you down? Why not look on the bright side? For people living in some of the world’s coldest inhabited settlements and research stations, most of Canada seems like a tropical paradise. Don’t believe us? Check out these frigid spots.

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Verkhoyansk, Russia
Verkhoyansk shares the record for the lowest temperature recorded in a permanently inhabited place with Oymyakon, Russia: −67.7 °C. Average January minimum temperatures here are −45.4 °C and in the winter of 2012, a pack of about 400 hungry and probably very cold wolves attacked the town with its 1,300 or so residents.
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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: The coldest towns and cities in Canada.

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Verkhoyansk, Russia
In summer, the pendulum swings the other way with average July temperatures of 16.5 °C. However, it’s not uncommon to experience temperatures of above 30 °C.
Though it can be expensive to live in Russia, it's still one of the best places to live and work abroad.
Though it can be expensive to live in Russia, it's still one of the best places to live and work abroad.

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Oymyakon, Russia
Like Verkhoyansk, Oymyakon boasts a record lowest recorded temperature of −67.7 °C. When the mercury drops to below freezing in late September, it may remain there all the way through to the middle of May.
Looking to get away from the cold? Here are 20 of the cheapest destinations for Canadians this winter.
Looking to get away from the cold? Here are 20 of the cheapest destinations for Canadians this winter.

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Oymyakon, Russia
The 500 residents of Oymyakon use all kinds of strategies to stay warm, including that Russian favourite: vodka.

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Yakutsk, Russia
Yakutsk has a population of about 300,000. With average January lows of −38.6 °C, it’s the world’s coldest major city.
Cold in your current city? Don't miss these date ideas that will keep you warm all winter long.
Cold in your current city? Don't miss these date ideas that will keep you warm all winter long.

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Yakutsk, Russia
The people of Yakutsk will warn you not to wear glasses when you’re outside in winter because the frames may just get frozen to your face!

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Norilsk, Russia
With more than 175,000 residents, Norilsk is the northernmost city in the world with a population of over 100,000. Its average January low temperature is −30.9 °C, making it one of the coldest large cities on the planet.
Let's not forget that these Canadian cities have the worst winters in, y'know, Canada.
Let's not forget that these Canadian cities have the worst winters in, y'know, Canada.

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Norilsk, Russia
You don’t want to get stuck in Norilsk in winter. Apart from the cold and the fact that this nickel-mining city is one of the most polluted in the world, the polar night means that for about six weeks it remains dark.

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Fort Good Hope, NWT
Fort Good Hope, also called the Charter Community of K’asho Got’ine, has a population of a little over 500 people. The economy of this Northwest Territories village is based on hunting and trapping.
With temps like these, don't miss the best winter boots that will keep you dry and warm.
With temps like these, don't miss the best winter boots that will keep you dry and warm.

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Fort Good Hope, NWT
January minimum temperatures in Fort Good Hope average −31.7 °C but the wind chill can make the mercury drop to below −60 °C.

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International Falls, MN
The Minnesota town of International Falls calls itself the ‘Icebox of the Nation’, being one of the coldest towns in the contiguous USA. It has a population of around 6,300.

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International Falls, MN
The lowest temperature ever recorded in this town along the Canadian border was −48 °C, but the average low for January is−21.4 °C.
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RELATED: 50 Canadian slang words are American friends don't understand.

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Barrow, AK
The true icebox of the USA is Barrow, Alaska, which has average January lows of −28.6 °C. The coldest month here is actually February, with average lows of −29.1 °C.
If you're sniffing out a warmer place to visit during the shortest month of the year, here are the 20 best places to visit in February around the world.
If you're sniffing out a warmer place to visit during the shortest month of the year, here are the 20 best places to visit in February around the world.

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Barrow, AK
With a population of around 4,300, Barrow is the northernmost city in the USA. In the winter there is no sun for 30 days, which is why Barrow was the perfect setting for the film '30 Days of Night'.

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Ulan Bator, Mongolia
Contrary to what you might think, Ottawa is not the coldest capital in the world. It isn’t Moscow either. It’s Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia.
We know where you'd rather be right now: the best adults only resorts to escape to now.
We know where you'd rather be right now: the best adults only resorts to escape to now.

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Ulan Bator, Mongolia
Winter temperatures in Ulan Bator usually vary between −36 and −40 °C. Discontinuous permafrost makes building difficult in some parts of the city, so people in the suburbs often live in yurts (basically a round tent).

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Eureka, Nunavut
The permanent research base of Eureka, Nunavut has the lowest average recorded temperatures in Canada. The annual mean temperature here is −18.8 °C and in February, the coldest month, the mercury drops to an average low of −41.1 °C.
You never know though, it may be one of the most underrated Canadian towns you should visit.
You never know though, it may be one of the most underrated Canadian towns you should visit.

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Eureka, Nunavut
Nobody lives permanently in Eureka, but researchers come and go on a rotational basis, so there’s always someone living here.

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Vostok Station, Antarctica
The coldest place in the world is Vostok Station, a Russian research station in Antarctica. During the Antarctic winter, temperatures average about −65 °C while summers are a positively balmy −42 °C. The lowest temperature ever recorded was at Vostok in 1983: −89.2 °C!

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Vostok Station, Antarctica
Vostok is a permanent research station but it's not a place where you’d want to settle. The hottest it has ever been here was −12.2 °C, one lovely summer’s day in 2002. The wind chill once hit −124 °C and the polar night lasts for more than four months. Ugh.
There are several companies that offer cruises to Antarctica in the summer. Check out these 20 cruises that go off the beaten path.
There are several companies that offer cruises to Antarctica in the summer. Check out these 20 cruises that go off the beaten path.

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Plateau Station, Antarctica
According to data from NASA, Plateau Station, Antarctica is home to the coldest recorded temperature on earth. It happened on August 10, 2010 when the temperature dropped to a brisk -93.2C.

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Snag, YT
Pretty in the summer, but c-c-cold in the winter. The coldest temperature recorded in Canada occurred in Snag on February 3, 1947, when the thermometer bottomed out at -63C. Locals noted that because of the weather conditions, voices travel for miles.

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Fort Selkirk, YT
Fort Selkirk also claims ownership of the coldest temperature recorded in Canada, the title officially held by Snag. They claim it hit -65C on February 3, 1947, but the way the temperature was recorded (not in a standard instrument shelter) means it isn't considered 'official'.

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Eismitte, Greenland
Little more than a German weather station, Eismitte is located in the middle of Greenland. The conditions are brutal. According to Conde Naste Traveller, the average February temperature is -46.6C. The coldest temperature recorded here was a chilly -65C.
If you're going to Greenland, you're better off visiting Sisimiut, which is one of the world's best places to see the Northern/Southern lights.
If you're going to Greenland, you're better off visiting Sisimiut, which is one of the world's best places to see the Northern/Southern lights.

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Denali, AK
The Telegraph reports that Denali (Mount McKinley) in Alaska is considered the coldest mountain on the planet. Winter temperatures hover around -40C. BRR!

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Dudinka, Russia
According to AccuWeather, the Siberian town of Dudinka can be a difficult place to spend the winter. The average low in January is -33C. The average high is just -24.5C.

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Harbin, China
Harbin, China also makes AccuWeather's list of coldest cities. 'Ice City' is home to more than 10 million people and hosts an annual ice festival. January lows hover around -23C.
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RELATED: Cheapest places to travel to from Canada in 2020.

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Winnipeg, MB
Winnipeg can definitely have harsh winters. It's one of the coldest major cities in North America with January lows averaging around -20C. In February 1966, the temperature hit -45C.

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Yellowknife, NT
Yellowknife is mentioned by AccuWeather as well. Not surprisingly, the city of 20,000 gets quite cold in the winter. Normal highs in January are around -21C. But, if you can handle the long nights and frigid weather, you'll be treated to the northern lights on a regular basis.
SEE MORE: 20 painfully funny things about being Canadian.
SEE MORE: 20 painfully funny things about being Canadian.

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North Ice, Greenland
According to Conde Nast Traveller, a research station in Greenland recorded a temperature of -66C on January 9, 1954. Not on the bucket list.
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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 20 of the most beautiful Canadian cities to live in.
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