Taking “Cool” to the Extreme

If there is one thing that we can agree on when it comes to living in the North Florida area, it’s the fact that we enjoy some pretty cool temperatures once the cold season arrives. During the winter months, daytime temperatures are warm enough that we can get outside and enjoy our day, retreating indoors after sunset when the outer conditions get chilly and taking advantage of our heating systems, courtesy of Barry.

There are, however, places in the world that aren’t as kind when it comes to the harshness of cold. Some places get so cold, in fact, that no amount of heating systems and thermal-wear is enough to keep you from shivering in your boots. Barry wanted to take a little time to tell you about a few of those places.

In Oymyakon, Russia, it’s quite normal for day-to-day business and schools to be conducted amid average temperatures of minus 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Across the pond, Hell, Norway is known as the real-life incarnation of the joke “When Hell Freezes Over.” Average temperatures in this small town are 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and it stays this way December thru March (a third of the entire year). Here in the U.S., International Falls, Minn. is quite the ice cap. In January, average temperatures are around a modest 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit with accompanying snowfall averaging 65.5 inches, putting an entire new spin on knowing cool.

None of these, however, compare to a town called Verkhoyansk, a mining and cattle community in Russia that was once used as a place to send political exiles- and for good reason. The average January temperature in this Siberian wilderness is minus 50.4 degrees Fahrenheit, and in 1892, it recorded its all-time coldest temperature of minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Barry has dealt with some pretty cool conditions when servicing your heating needs, but even he would admit that these are some pretty #Cool situations. Given what we’ve shared with you, we’d like to know what are some of the coldest temperatures you’ve ever experienced? Tweet us your responses to @BarineauAC or visit us on our Facebook page.