<P> In midsummer, as the sun reaches its maximum elevation of about 23.5 degrees, high temperatures at the South Pole in January average at − 25.9 ° C (− 15 ° F). As the six - month "day" wears on and the sun gets lower, temperatures drop as well: they reach − 45 ° C (− 49 ° F) around sunset (late March) and sunrise (late September). In midwinter, the average temperature remains steady at around − 58 ° C (− 72 ° F). The highest temperature ever recorded at the Amundsen--Scott South Pole Station was − 12.3 ° C (9.9 ° F) on Christmas Day, 2011, and the lowest was − 82.8 ° C (− 117.0 ° F) on June 23, 1982 (for comparison, the lowest temperature directly recorded anywhere on earth was − 89.2 ° C (− 128.6 ° F) at Vostok Station on July 21, 1983, though − 93.2 ° C (− 135.8 ° F) was measured indirectly by satellite in East Antarctica between Dome A and Dome F in August 2010). </P> <P> The South Pole has a desert climate, receiving very little precipitation . Air humidity is near zero . However, high winds can cause the blowing of snowfall, and the accumulation of snow amounts to about 20 cm (8 in) per year . The former dome seen in pictures of the Amundsen--Scott station is partially buried due to snow storms, and the entrance to the dome had to be regularly bulldozed to uncover it . More recent buildings are raised on stilts so that the snow does not build up against the sides of them . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="14"> (hide) Climate data for The South Pole </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Month </Th> <Th> Jan </Th> <Th> Feb </Th> <Th> Mar </Th> <Th> Apr </Th> <Th> May </Th> <Th> Jun </Th> <Th> Jul </Th> <Th> Aug </Th> <Th> Sep </Th> <Th> Oct </Th> <Th> Nov </Th> <Th> Dec </Th> <Th> Year </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Record high ° C (° F) </Th> <Td> − 14.4 (6.1) </Td> <Td> − 20.6 (− 5.1) </Td> <Td> − 26.7 (− 16.1) </Td> <Td> − 27.8 (− 18) </Td> <Td> − 25.1 (− 13.2) </Td> <Td> − 28.8 (− 19.8) </Td> <Td> − 33.9 (− 29) </Td> <Td> − 32.8 (− 27) </Td> <Td> − 29.3 (− 20.7) </Td> <Td> − 25.1 (− 13.2) </Td> <Td> − 18.9 (− 2) </Td> <Td> − 12.3 (9.9) </Td> <Td> − 12.3 (9.9) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Average high ° C (° F) </Th> <Td> − 26.0 (− 14.8) </Td> <Td> − 37.9 (− 36.2) </Td> <Td> − 49.6 (− 57.3) </Td> <Td> − 53.0 (− 63.4) </Td> <Td> − 53.6 (− 64.5) </Td> <Td> − 54.5 (− 66.1) </Td> <Td> − 55.2 (− 67.4) </Td> <Td> − 54.9 (− 66.8) </Td> <Td> − 54.4 (− 65.9) </Td> <Td> − 48.4 (− 55.1) </Td> <Td> − 36.2 (− 33.2) </Td> <Td> − 26.3 (− 15.3) </Td> <Td> − 45.8 (− 50.4) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Daily mean ° C (° F) </Th> <Td> − 28.4 (− 19.1) </Td> <Td> − 40.9 (− 41.6) </Td> <Td> − 53.7 (− 64.7) </Td> <Td> − 57.8 (− 72) </Td> <Td> − 58.0 (− 72.4) </Td> <Td> − 58.9 (− 74) </Td> <Td> − 59.8 (− 75.6) </Td> <Td> − 59.7 (− 75.5) </Td> <Td> − 59.1 (− 74.4) </Td> <Td> − 51.6 (− 60.9) </Td> <Td> − 38.2 (− 36.8) </Td> <Td> − 28.0 (− 18.4) </Td> <Td> − 49.5 (− 57.1) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Average low ° C (° F) </Th> <Td> − 29.6 (− 21.3) </Td> <Td> − 43.1 (− 45.6) </Td> <Td> − 56.8 (− 70.2) </Td> <Td> − 60.9 (− 77.6) </Td> <Td> − 61.5 (− 78.7) </Td> <Td> − 62.8 (− 81) </Td> <Td> − 63.4 (− 82.1) </Td> <Td> − 63.2 (− 81.8) </Td> <Td> − 61.7 (− 79.1) </Td> <Td> − 54.3 (− 65.7) </Td> <Td> − 40.1 (− 40.2) </Td> <Td> − 29.1 (− 20.4) </Td> <Td> − 52.2 (− 62) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Record low ° C (° F) </Th> <Td> − 41.1 (− 42) </Td> <Td> − 58.9 (− 74) </Td> <Td> − 71.1 (− 96) </Td> <Td> − 75.0 (− 103) </Td> <Td> − 78.3 (− 108.9) </Td> <Td> − 82.8 (− 117) </Td> <Td> − 80.6 (− 113.1) </Td> <Td> − 79.3 (− 110.7) </Td> <Td> − 79.4 (− 110.9) </Td> <Td> − 72.0 (− 97.6) </Td> <Td> − 55.0 (− 67) </Td> <Td> − 41.1 (− 42) </Td> <Td> − 82.8 (− 117) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Average precipitation mm (inches) </Th> <Td> 0.3 (0.012) </Td> <Td> 0.6 (0.024) </Td> <Td> 0.2 (0.008) </Td> <Td> 0.1 (0.004) </Td> <Td> 0.2 (0.008) </Td> <Td> 0.1 (0.004) </Td> <Td> Trace </Td> <Td> Trace </Td> <Td> 0.1 (0.004) </Td> <Td> 0.1 (0.004) </Td> <Td> 0.1 (0.004) </Td> <Td> 0.3 (0.012) </Td> <Td> 2.3 (0.091) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) </Th> <Td> 0.2 </Td> <Td> 0.3 </Td> <Td> 0.2 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.2 </Td> <Td> 0.1 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.1 </Td> <Td> 0.1 </Td> <Td> 0.1 </Td> <Td> 0.3 </Td> <Td> 1.6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Average snowy days </Th> <Td> 22.0 </Td> <Td> 19.6 </Td> <Td> 13.6 </Td> <Td> 11.4 </Td> <Td> 17.2 </Td> <Td> 17.3 </Td> <Td> 18.2 </Td> <Td> 17.5 </Td> <Td> 11.7 </Td> <Td> 16.7 </Td> <Td> 16.9 </Td> <Td> 20.6 </Td> <Td> 203.0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Mean monthly sunshine hours </Th> <Td> 406.1 </Td> <Td> 497.2 </Td> <Td> 195.3 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 34.1 </Td> <Td> 390.6 </Td> <Td> 558.0 </Td> <Td> 616.9 </Td> <Td> 2,698.2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Mean daily sunshine hours </Th> <Td> 13.1 </Td> <Td> 17.6 </Td> <Td> 6.3 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 1.1 </Td> <Td> 12.6 </Td> <Td> 18.6 </Td> <Td> 19.9 </Td> <Td> 7.4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="14"> Source #1: Pogoda.ru.net (temperatures, 1981--2010, extremes 1957--present) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="14"> Source #2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (precipitation 1957--1988 and sun 1978--1993), NOAA (snowy days data, 1961--1988) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="14"> (hide) Climate data for The South Pole </Th> </Tr>

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