The Pole of Cold. Shop assistant refilling bread at the only shop for groceries in the village of Oymyakon. The area is extremely cold during the winter. Two towns by the highway, Tomtor and Oymyakon, both claim the coldest inhabited place on earth (often referred to as -71.2°C, but might be -67.7°C) outside of Antarctica. The average temperature in Oymyakon in January is -42°C (daily maximum) and -50°C (daily minimum). Oymyakon, Oimjakon, Yakutia, Jakutien, Russian Federation, Russia, RUS, 20.01.2010