Welcome to the World's Coldest City, Where It Snows 270 Days a Year

We’re hitting those extremely depressing days of winter, where the sun never seems to shine and we’re bombarded with snow for days on end. But you’ll never have it as bad as Norilsk, Russia, a Siberian where it snows 270 days a year and residents don’t even glimpse the sun for long periods of time.

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Norilsk is home to about 175,000 people and is situated above the Arctic Circle. Temperatures can plummet to 78 degrees below Fahrenheit and the average temperature year round is only 14 degrees. Yikes.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

And then there is the snow. The city is covered with snow an incredible 270 days out of the year. Norilsk is also very isolated. Despite its relatively large population, the city can only be reached by plane or boat, and it is surrounded by thousands of miles of wilderness.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Despite what most people would consider major drawbacks, Norilsk is considered Russia’s richest city because of nearby nickel and platinum deposits, and the population continues to increase. People who work in the nearby mines are well compensated, so workers are drawn to the city – even though Norilsk is also one of the most polluted places on the planet due to its industry.