View source for Oymyakon

{{Short description|Selo in Sakha Republic, Russia}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox Russian rural locality
|en_name=Oymyakon
|ru_name=Оймякон
|loc_name1=Өймөкөөн
|loc_lang1=Yakut
|image_skyline=Oymyakon_-_190228_DSC_5642.jpg
|image_caption=
|map_label_position=right
|coordinates = {{coord|63|27|39|N|142|47|09|E|display=inline,title}}
|federal_subject=[[Sakha Republic]]
|federal_subject_ref=
|adm_data_as_of=
|adm_district_jur=[[Oymyakonsky District]]
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|inhabloc_cat=Rural locality
|inhabloc_cat_ref=
|inhabloc_type=''[[Village#Russia|Selo]]''
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|mun_district_jur=Oymyakonsky Municipal District
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|pop_2010census= 462
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|pop_density=
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|pop_latest=500–900
|pop_latest_date=5 February 2018
|pop_latest_ref=<ref name="Konbini" group=Videos />
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|dialing_codes=41154
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'''Oymyakon'''{{efn|{{langx|ru|Оймяко́н}}, {{IPA|ru|ɐjmʲɪˈkon|pron}}; {{langx|sah|Өймөкөөн}}, ''Öymököön'', {{IPA|sah|øjmøˈkøːn}}}} is a [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|rural locality]] (a ''[[village#Russia|selo]]'') in [[Oymyakonsky District]] of the [[Sakha Republic]], Russia, located in the [[Yana-Oymyakon Highlands]], along the [[Indigirka River]], {{convert|30|km|abbr=on}} northwest of [[Tomtor, Oymyakonsky District, Sakha Republic|Tomtor]] on the [[M56 Kolyma Highway|Kolyma Highway]]. Oymyakon is the coldest permanently inhabited [[human settlement]] on Earth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cntraveler.com/story/this-is-the-coldest-permanently-inhabited-place-on-earth|title=This Is the Coldest Permanently Inhabited Place on Earth|first=Ken|last=Jennings|website=Condé Nast Traveler|date=September 10, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inspiremore.com/worlds-coldest-village/|title=World's Coldest Village Drops To −80° & The Photos Are Spectacular.|date=January 16, 2018|website=InspireMore.com|access-date=19 January 2018}}</ref> 

==Etymology==
The settlement is named after the Oymyakon River, whose name reportedly comes from the [[Even language|Even]] word ''kheium'', meaning "unfrozen patch of water; place where fish spend the winter".<ref>{{cite book|last=Pospelov|first=Evgeniy Mikhaylovich|script-title=ru:Географические названия мира|location=Moscow|publisher=Русские словари|year=1998|page=307|language=ru|isbn=5892160297}}</ref> However, another source states that the Even word ''heyum'' (hэjум, хэюм; ''kheium'' may be a misspelling), which means "frozen lake", may be where it gets its name.<ref>{{citation |last=Tsintsius |first=V. I. |publisher=Nauka |year=1977 |volume=2 |page=361 |location=Leningrad |script-title=ru:Сравнительный словарь тунгусо-маньчжурских языков : материалы к этимологическому словарю|language=ru}}</ref>

==Geography==
Oymyakon has two main [[valley]]s beside it. These valleys trap wind inside the town and create a colder climate.<ref>{{cite web|author=Bijal P. Trivedi|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/05/0512_040512_tvoymyakon.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040517011512/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/05/0512_040512_tvoymyakon.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 May 2004 |title=Life Is a Chilling Challenge in Subzero Siberia |website=National Geographic Channel|date=May 12, 2004}}</ref> The temperatures here are extremely cold for most of the year, and it snows frequently in spring and autumn, but rarely in summer and winter, due to the [[Siberian High]] in winter, and temperatures being commonly above {{convert|0|C}} in summer. Schools are closed if it is colder than {{convert|−55|C}}.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1noUh2NrLI&t=738|title=Visiting the coldest town in the world - Chilling Out - 60 Minutes Australia|type=[[YouTube]] video|date=June 20, 2018|time=12:18}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Oymyakon - 190228 DSC 5813.jpg|thumb|250px|Monument to the "[[Great Patriotic War]]", February 2019]]
During World War II, an airfield was built in the district of [[Aeroport, Oymyakonsky District, Sakha Republic|Aeroport]], for the Alaska-Siberian ([[ALSIB]]) air route, used to ferry American [[Lend-Lease]] aircraft to the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Lebedev|first=Igor|title=Aviation Lend-Lease to Russia|publisher=Nova Publishers|year=1997|pages=44–49}}</ref> Oymyakon is located near the historic [[R504 Kolyma Highway|Road of Bones]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/22/world/europe/russia-stalin-gulag-kolyma-magadan.html|title=Along Russia's 'Road of Bones,' Relics of Suffering and Despair|author=Andrew Higgins|website=[[The New York Times]] |date=22 November 2020|access-date=15 June 2021}}</ref> Over the last few decades, the population of Oymyakon has shrunk significantly. The village had a peak population of roughly 2,500 inhabitants, but that number has dwindled to fewer than 900 in 2018.<ref name="Konbini" group=Videos>{{cite web |title=Visite du village le plus froid du monde |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylpuGUWGdSs |website=YouTube |publisher=Konbini News |access-date=27 October 2018 |date=5 February 2018 |language=fr}}</ref> The local economy is mostly [[fur trading]] and [[ice fishing]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sometimes-interesting.com/2011/07/17/the-coldest-inhabited-place-on-earth-oymyakon-russia/|title=The Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth: Oymyakon, Russia|first=Sometimes|last=Interesting|date=July 17, 2011|website=Sometimes Interesting}}</ref>

==Religion==
{{unreferencedsection|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Oymyakon - 190228 DSC 5855.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Ayaz Ata]] (Turkic mythology) dressed as Chyskhaan, the spirit of cold in [[Yakuts|Yakut]] mythology]]
Most inhabitants of Oymyakon are either [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox Christian]]s or [[Irreligion|non-religious]]. [[Aiyy Faith]] and [[Shamanism]] also have a presence in the area.

==Climate==
[[File:Oymyakon forests.jpg|thumb|Landscape near Oymyakon in February 2013]]
[[File:Oymyakon - 190228 DSC 5489.jpg|thumb|250px|The weather station]]
With an extreme [[subarctic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfd'', [[Trewartha climate classification]] ''Ecle''), Oymyakon is known as one of the places considered the Northern [[Pole of Cold]], the other being the [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|town]] of [[Verkhoyansk]], located {{cvt|629|km}} away by air. The weather station is in a valley between Oymyakon and [[Tomtor, Oymyakonsky District, Sakha Republic|Tomtor]]. The station is at {{cvt|750|m}} above sea level and the surrounding mountains, at {{cvt|1100|m}}, cause cold air to pool in the valley: in fact, recent studies show that winter temperatures in the area ''increase'' with altitude by as much as {{convert|10|C-change}}. The reason Oymyakon is so cold is due to the fact that the village is surrounded by mountains trapping cold air and not allowing warm winds to come. Another reason is that Oymyakon only receives around a few hours of daylight in the winter, accounting for the extremely low temperatures in the winter. Oymyakon's distance from the ocean can also affect the temperatures.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lester |first=Chester |date=2025-02-03 |title=Why is Oymyakon so cold? |url=https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-faq/why-is-oymyakon-so-cold/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Geographic FAQ Hub: Answers to Your Global Questions |language=en-US}}</ref> {{clarify|reason=between valley floor and mountaintops? per 100 m?|date=July 2020}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.igsoc.org/annals/v52/58/a58A068.pdf |title=International Glaciological Society (IGS) |publisher=Igsoc.org |date=2012-02-13 |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> Due to the harsh conditions, the ground is permanently frozen ([[continuous permafrost]]).

There is a monument built around the town square commemorating an unofficial reading in January 1924 of {{convert|−71.2|C}}. This was shown on the Australian program ''[[60 Minutes (Australian TV program)|60 Minutes]]'' in a 2012 documentary.<ref name="60 Min Australia">{{cite web |title=Chilling Out – Visiting the Coldest Town in the World |work=[[60 Minutes (Australian TV program)|60 Minutes]] |date=20 June 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1noUh2NrLI |via=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> On 6 February 1933, a temperature of {{convert|−67.7|C}} was recorded at Oymyakon's weather station.<ref name="Stepanova">{{cite web|author=N.A. Stepanova |title=On the Lowest Temperatures on Earth|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/086/mwr-086-01-0006.pdf |publisher=Docs.lib.noaa.gov|access-date=10 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193535/http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/086/mwr-086-01-0006.pdf|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Christopher C. Burt|title=The Coldest Places on Earth|website=Weather Underground |url=https://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/the-coldest-places-on-earth |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319233430/https://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/the-coldest-places-on-earth|archive-date=19 March 2016}}</ref> This was almost the coldest officially recorded temperature in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] (Verkhoyansk had recorded {{convert|−67.8|C}} on 5 and 7 February, 1892). Only [[Antarctica]] and [[Greenland]] have recorded lower official temperatures (the lowest being {{convert|-89.2|C|F}}, recorded at [[Vostok Station]] on 21 July 1983).<ref>{{cite web|title=World:Lowest Temperature |url=http://wmo.asu.edu/world-lowest-temperature |publisher=[[World Meteorological Organization]] |access-date=4 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616025722/http://wmo.asu.edu/world-lowest-temperature |archive-date=16 June 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Global Weather & Climate Extremes|url=http://wmo.asu.edu/#global|publisher=World Meteorological Organization|access-date=4 February 2014}}</ref> The unofficial record cold temperature is roughly {{convert|8|C-change}} warmer than the sublimation point of [[carbon dioxide]].

During some years, the temperature drops below {{convert|0|C}} in late September and remains below freezing until mid-April. Oymyakon has never recorded an above-freezing temperature between 26 October and 16 March inclusive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/monitor.php?id=24688&month=10&year=2013 |title=Погода и Климат - Климатический монитор: погода в Оймяконе |publisher=Pogodaiklimat.ru |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> In Oymyakon sometimes the average minimum temperature for December, January, and February falls below {{convert|-50|C|}}: in the record coldest month of January 1931 the monthly mean was {{convert|-54.1|C}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/monitor.php?id=24688&month=1&year=2001 |title=Погода и Климат - Климатический монитор: погода в Оймяконе |publisher=Pogodaiklimat.ru |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> Sometimes summer months can also be quite chilly, but in June, July, and August, the temperature has never dropped below {{convert|-14|C}}, while in June and July, the temperature has never dropped below {{convert|-10|C}}. Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk are the only two permanently inhabited places in the world that have recorded temperatures below {{convert|-60|C}} for every day in January.<ref name="climate">{{cite web|url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/monitor.php?id=24688&month=1&year=2013 |title=Погода и Климат - Климатический монитор: погода в Оймяконе |publisher=Pogodaiklimat.ru |access-date=March 10, 2015}}</ref><ref name="climate-verkhoyansk">{{cite web|url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/monitor.php?id=24266&month=1&year=2013 |title=Погода и Климат - Климатический монитор: погода в Верхоянске |publisher=Pogodaiklimat.ru |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> By the contrast July is the month where every day has had temperatures above {{convert|30|C}}. Every day of the year has a record low below freezing, with 9 July having the highest record low at {{convert|-1.5|C}}. In contrast, 4 January has the lowest record high at {{convert|-27.9|C}}.

Although winters in Oymyakon are long and extremely cold, summers are mild to warm, sometimes hot, with cool to cold summer nights. The warmest month on record was July 2022 with an average temperature of {{convert|19.3|C}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/monitor.php?id=24688&month=7&year=2010|title=Погода и Климат - Климатический монитор: погода в Оймяконе |publisher=Pogoda.ru.net |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> In June, July, and August, temperatures over {{convert|30|C}} are not rare during the day. On 7 July 2022, the warmest night on record was observed, with an overnight minimum of {{convert|18.6|C}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=24688&ano=2022&mes=7&day=8&hora=12&min=0&ndays=30|title= 24688: Ojmjakon (Russia)|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 7 July 2022|website=ogimet.com |publisher=OGIMET |access-date= 8 July 2022|quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1545170382264606720|title=Oymyakon is famous for having the record of the lowest temperature in an inhabited village with -67.7C on 6 February 1933. 89 years later, today 8 July an opposite record was set: its warmest night on record with an overnight minimum of 18.6C (and almost 23 hours were "tropical")|website=Twitter.com|access-date=18 July 2022}}</ref> On 28 July 2010, Oymyakon recorded a record high temperature of {{convert|34.6|C}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pogoda.ru.net/monitor.php?id=24688&month=7&year=2010 |title=Погода и Климат - Климатический монитор: погода в Оймяконе |publisher=Pogoda.ru.net |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> yielding a temperature range of {{convert|102.3|C-change}}. [[Verkhoyansk]], [[Yakutsk]], [[Delyankir]], [[Tegyulte]], and [[Fort Vermilion]], [[Canada]] are the only other known places in the world that have a temperature amplitude higher than {{convert|100|C-change}}.{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}} [[Fort Yukon, Alaska]], falls 1 degree C short of this threshold. Also, Oymyakon is tied with Verkhoyansk for the highest temperature amplitude in the world, and Verkhoyansk is tied with Fort Yukon for the warmest temperature above the Arctic Circle ever, {{convert|38|C|F}}.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

The climate is quite dry, but as average monthly temperatures are below freezing for seven months of the year, substantial evaporation occurs only in summer months. Summers are much wetter than winters. Due to its harsh winters, the plant [[hardiness zone]] in Oymyakon is 0a. A small number of trees such as the [[Dahurian larch]] can still grow nonetheless.

{{Weather box
|location=Oymyakon (1991–2020, extremes 1891–present)
|metric first= yes
|single line=yes
|Jan record high C = -16.6
|Feb record high C = -12.5
|Mar record high C = 3.8
|Apr record high C = 11.7
|May record high C = 26.2
|Jun record high C = 31.7
|Jul record high C = 34.6
|Aug record high C = 32.9
|Sep record high C = 23.7
|Oct record high C = 11.0
|Nov record high C = -2.1
|Dec record high C = -6.0
|year record high C = 34.6
|Jan high C = -42.1
|Feb high C = -35.8
|Mar high C = -19.8
|Apr high C = -3.0
|May high C = 9.7
|Jun high C = 20.0
|Jul high C = 23.0
|Aug high C = 18.5
|Sep high C = 9.1
|Oct high C = -8.3
|Nov high C = -30.2
|Dec high C = -41.9
|year high C = -8.4
|Jan mean C = -45.7
|Feb mean C = -42.2
|Mar mean C = -30.2
|Apr mean C = -12.7
|May mean C = 3.5
|Jun mean C = 12.7
|Jul mean C = 15.3
|Aug mean C = 10.8
|Sep mean C = 2.5
|Oct mean C = -13.8
|Nov mean C = -34.4
|Dec mean C = -45.0
|year mean C = -14.9
|Jan low C = -49.3
|Feb low C = -47.6
|Mar low C = -39.2
|Apr low C = -22.9
|May low C = -3.5
|Jun low C = 4.4
|Jul low C = 6.9
|Aug low C = 3.2
|Sep low C = -3.3
|Oct low C = -19.2
|Nov low C = -38.8
|Dec low C = -48.3
|year low C = -21.5
|Jan record low C = -65.6
|Feb record low C = -67.7 <!-- This record comes from the WMO record page (source labeled "February record low" below) and was recorded in 1933. The main source http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/ does not include records before about 1943, but the -67.7C is valid. Please consult the talk page before changing this figure. -->
|Mar record low C = -60.6
|Apr record low C = -46.4
|May record low C = -28.9
|Jun record low C = -9.7
|Jul record low C = -9.3
|Aug record low C = -13.2
|Sep record low C = -25.3
|Oct record low C = -47.6
|Nov record low C = -62.2
|Dec record low C = -64.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 6
|Feb precipitation mm = 7
|Mar precipitation mm = 5
|Apr precipitation mm = 5
|May precipitation mm = 15
|Jun precipitation mm = 39
|Jul precipitation mm = 46
|Aug precipitation mm = 38
|Sep precipitation mm = 24
|Oct precipitation mm = 13
|Nov precipitation mm = 13
|Dec precipitation mm = 7
|year precipitation mm = 218
|Jan snow depth cm = 24
|Feb snow depth cm = 28
|Mar snow depth cm = 30
|Apr snow depth cm = 24
|May snow depth cm = 3
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = 6
|Nov snow depth cm = 15
|Dec snow depth cm = 20
|year snow depth cm = 30
|Jan rain days = 0
|Feb rain days = 0
|Mar rain days = 0.03
|Apr rain days = 0.4
|May rain days = 10
|Jun rain days = 17
|Jul rain days = 17
|Aug rain days = 18
|Sep rain days = 13
|Oct rain days = 1
|Nov rain days = 0
|Dec rain days = 0
|year rain days = 76
|Jan snow days = 23
|Feb snow days = 23
|Mar snow days = 16
|Apr snow days = 10
|May snow days = 9
|Jun snow days = 1
|Jul snow days = 0.2
|Aug snow days = 0.3
|Sep snow days = 9
|Oct snow days = 21
|Nov snow days = 23
|Dec snow days = 20
|year snow days = 156
|Jan humidity = 77
|Feb humidity = 76
|Mar humidity = 73
|Apr humidity = 68
|May humidity = 60
|Jun humidity = 60
|Jul humidity = 66
|Aug humidity = 72
|Sep humidity = 74
|Oct humidity = 80
|Nov humidity = 78
|Dec humidity = 75
|year humidity = 
|Jan sun = 35.4
|Feb sun = 127.5
|Mar sun = 255.5
|Apr sun = 314.2
|May sun = 287.7
|Jun sun = 317.8
|Jul sun = 308.7
|Aug sun = 236.0
|Sep sun = 146.8
|Oct sun = 114.4
|Nov sun = 62.8
|Dec sun = 14.3
|year sun = 
|source 1 = Погода и Климат,<ref name="climatebox">{{cite web |url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/24688.htm |title=Погода и Климат - Климат Оймякона |publisher=Pogodaiklimat.ru |access-date=8 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317022119/http://pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/24688.htm |archive-date=17 March 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Погода в Оймяконе. Температура воздуха и осадки. Февраль 2014 г.|url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/monitor.php?id=24688|publisher=Pogodaiklimat.ru|access-date=10 February 2014}}</ref> [[World Meteorological Organization]] (February record low)<ref name="wmo">{{cite web |url= http://wmo.asu.edu/asia-lowest-temperature |title= Asia: Lowest Temperature |publisher= [[WMO]] |access-date=19 June 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100616051245/http://wmo.asu.edu/asia-lowest-temperature |archive-date=16 June 2010 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> (November record low)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1468344785333276673?t=L5p5G3jssud1S4AlUekPiw&s=19 |title= Lowest Temperature November |access-date=19 June 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100616051245/https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1468344785333276673?t=L5p5G3jssud1S4AlUekPiw&s=19 |archive-date=16 June 2010 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> 
|source 2 = [[NOAA]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/RussianFederation/CSV/Ojmjakon_24688.csv|title= Oymyakon 1991–2020|access-date=30 October 2023|publisher=NOAA}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Oymyakon - 190228 DSC 5736.jpg|thumb|Local man]]

==See also==
{{Portal|Russia|Siberia}}
* [[Summit Camp]]
* [[Oymyakon Plateau]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Videos===
{{Reflist|group=Videos}}

==External links==
{{wikivoyage}}
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.wr-presse.de/Download/city_map_oymyakon.pdf City map Oymyakon]

{{Rural localities in Oymyakonsky District}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rural localities in Oymyakonsky District]]
[[Category:Weather extremes of Earth]]