What is the coldest climate zone on Earth?

The coldest climate zone on Earth is the polar climate zone.

Polar climates occur in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as on some high mountain summits. Their defining feature is persistent cold: the average temperature of the warmest month remains below 10°C. In the coldest areas, temperatures stay below freezing for much or all of the year.

The two main polar climate types are tundra climate and ice-cap climate. Tundra regions have a short, cool summer that may allow mosses, lichens, and small shrubs to grow. Ice-cap climates remain below 0°C even during the warmest month, so permanent ice and snow dominate the landscape. Antarctica contains the largest continuous ice-cap climate on Earth.

Polar regions can also be extremely dry. Cold air holds little moisture, so some parts of Antarctica receive very little snowfall and are classified as polar deserts. “Continental” describes a climate influenced by landlocked interiors, while “temperate” refers to milder mid-latitude conditions; neither is the coldest global zone.