Coldest capital cities in the world (climate, snowy, warm, recorded)
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Considering winter average low, winter average high, average annual minimum, record low, frequency of hitting -20 C etc., which capital cities in the world are the coldest?
Oslo has many days in winter with subzero temperatures, but the record low is not impressive compared to Minsk or even Kiev http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo
There is no contest. The coldest capital city in the world is Ulan Bator; Astana has recorded a slightly lower absolute minimum (-51,6° versus Ulan Bator's -49°), but UB is 5°C colder in the annual mean. This would be the only important value for me, but let's also say that UB is 5,5°C colder than Astana in the annual average low, 7°C colder in the winter average low and almost 5°C colder in the winter average high.
After Astana there are Reykjavik, which in contrast is the capital with the coldest summers, a little colder than the summers in La Paz, and Helsinki that both record an annual mean lower than 5,5°C. Then there is a cluster that includes Moscow, Tallinn, Oslo, Vilnius and Riga, all of them having an annual mean around 6°C. Then Ottawa, Minsk and Stockholm average between 6,4° and 6,8°C.
In summary:
-Ulan Bator is the coldest overall, followed by Astana, Reykjavik and Helsinki;
-Ulan Bator has the coldest winters, followed by Astana, Ottawa and Moscow;
-Reykjavik has the coldest summers, followed by La Paz, Quito and Bogotà ;
-Astana has recorded the lowest absolute minimum, followed by Ulan Bator, Moscow and Minsk;
-La Paz is the coldest capital city in the Southern Hemisphere, followed by Wellington, Canberra and Quito.
If Greenland was a sovereign state, Nuuk would be the second coldest capital city in the world and by far the one with the coldest summer.
I still believe, however, that the annual mean is the only value that has to be taken into real consideration to analyze which place is colder or hotter (in general).
There is no contest. The coldest capital city in the world is Ulan Bator; Astana has recorded a slightly lower absolute minimum (-51,6° versus Ulan Bator's -49°), but UB is 5°C colder in the annual mean. This would be the only important value for me, but let's also say that UB is 5,5°C colder than Astana in the annual average low, 7°C colder in the winter average low and almost 5°C colder in the winter average high.
After Astana there are Reykjavik, which in contrast is the capital with the coldest summers, a little colder than the summers in La Paz, and Helsinki that both record an annual mean lower than 5,5°C. Then there is a cluster that includes Moscow, Tallinn, Oslo, Vilnius and Riga, all of them having an annual mean around 6°C. Then Ottawa, Minsk and Stockholm average between 6,4° and 6,8°C.
In summary:
-Ulan Bator is the coldest overall, followed by Astana, Reykjavik and Helsinki;
-Ulan Bator has the coldest winters, followed by Astana, Ottawa and Moscow;
-Reykjavik has the coldest summers, followed by La Paz, Quito and Bogotà ;
-Astana has recorded the lowest absolute minimum, followed by Ulan Bator, Moscow and Minsk;
-La Paz is the coldest capital city in the Southern Hemisphere, followed by Wellington, Canberra and Quito.
If Greenland was a sovereign state, Nuuk would be the second coldest capital city in the world and by far the one with the coldest summer.
I still believe, however, that the annual mean is the only value that has to be taken into real consideration to analyze which place is colder or hotter (in general).
Very good detailed post!
Which one of the coldest capital cities has the best overall climate?
Ulan Bator -2.4°C
Astana 3.5°C
Reykjavik 4.3°C
Helsinki 5.3°C
Oslo 5.6°C
Moscow 5.8°C
Tallinn 5.9°C
Vilnius 6.0°C
Riga 6.2°C
Ottawa 6.4°C
Minsk 6.6°C
Stockholm 6.8°C
Ulan Bator -2.4°C
Astana 3.5°C
Reykjavik 4.3°C
Helsinki 5.3°C
Oslo 5.6°C
Moscow 5.8°C
Tallinn 5.9°C
Vilnius 6.0°C
Riga 6.2°C
Ottawa 6.4°C
Minsk 6.6°C
Stockholm 6.8°C
Special mentions:
Kiev 7.7°C
Warsaw 7.7°C
Ottawa is the best out those cities, it has a very nice warm summer and
good snowy winter. Can't do better then that.
And as a bonus more sunshine hours (and stronger sun at 45N).
Ulan Bator -2.4°C
Astana 3.5°C
Reykjavik 4.3°C
Helsinki 5.3°C
Oslo 5.6°C
Moscow 5.8°C
Tallinn 5.9°C
Vilnius 6.0°C
Riga 6.2°C
Ottawa 6.4°C
Minsk 6.6°C
Stockholm 6.8°C
Special mentions:
Kiev 7.7°C
Warsaw 7.7°C
Norwegian meteorologists have not bothered to calculate new normals, so Norwegian data is mostly from the old 1961 -90 normal. Oslo's annual mean of 5.6C is with the old 1961 -90 normal (the table in Wiki is using different data with annual mean of 6.5C for Oslo).
I noticed that the annual mean for Helsinki, Moscow and Ottawa- and probably more of these cities - is based on the 1981-2010 period, which is used in their WIki article. This makes a signicant difference.
With that base period, I would suspect Oslo's annual mean to be at least 6.6C.
Ottawa for sure, at least there's a real summer there
Astana's summers are about on par with Ottawa's and have higher record highs.
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