How Cold Does It Really Get At The North Pole?

According to NASA, the average temperature at the North Pole during the summer months is 32F (0 C). As anyone from the northern U.S. will tell you, that's a livable temperature not pleasant, but livable. But in the winter months, the North Pole drops down to a numbing -40F (-40C).

According to NASA, the average temperature at the North Pole during the summer months is 32°F (0° C). As anyone from the northern U.S. will tell you, that's a livable temperature — not pleasant, but livable. But in the winter months, the North Pole drops down to a numbing -40°F (-40°C).

Cold, for sure. But if you want to experience real cold, head to the South Pole. The average yearly temperature there is a terrifying -60°F (-51°C). Per NASA, the South Pole remains below zero all year; its average summer temperature is -18°F (-29°C), while its nightmarish winters drop to an average −76°F (−60°C).

Maybe it's surprising to learn that the South Pole is so much colder than the North Pole when both get the same amount of sunlight each year. But the North Pole, which lies in a frozen region of the Arctic Ocean, is kept warm by the waters below. The Arctic Ocean is cold, of course, but not quite as cold as the Arctic ice, so the ocean helps to warm the air temperature at the North Pole. The South Pole, which lies in the middle of Antarctica, gets no such warming effects. It's also at a higher elevation.

Santa made a wise decision to chill with the polar bears at the North Pole rather than freeze with the penguins at the South.

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