Which climate zone has permafrost?

The climate zone associated with permafrost is the tundra.

Tundra environments are found mainly at high latitudes near the Arctic and at high elevations where temperatures are too low for trees to form forests. Their ground often contains permafrost, soil or sediment that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years. During the short summer, only a shallow surface layer may thaw, allowing mosses, lichens, grasses, and small shrubs to grow.

Permafrost is not always permanently frozen at the surface. In many tundra regions, the active layer above it thaws each summer and refreezes in winter. The thickness and continuity of permafrost vary with latitude, snow cover, drainage, and local temperatures.

Tundra is commonly confused with taiga, the coniferous forest biome farther south. Taiga can also contain patches of permafrost, especially in its northern reaches, but tundra is the classic climate and vegetation zone defined by treeless conditions and widespread frozen ground. Polar deserts are colder and much drier, with less vegetation.