Here a German researcher is fixing an instrument called a pyranometer (in the tube). He is trying to collect weather data while on an Arctic ice floe. A pyranometer measures solar radiation. Figure from the NSIDC Arctic Climatology and Meteorology Primer

Ok, so you know the Arctic is cold, right? But did you know that minimum temperatures of -90°Fahrenheit (-68° Celsius) can be reached in Greenland and northern Siberia during winter months? The average Arctic winter temperature is -30° F (-34°C), while the average Arctic summer temperature is 37-54° F (3-12° C). In general, Arctic winters are long and cold while summers are short and cool. Some places in the Arctic are actually warmer then you might expect based on their latitude alone. Land areas near the coast may be warmer because of the warm ocean currents.

Much of the Arctic sky is generally covered with low stratus and stratocumulus clouds. When the area begins to warm up in Spring like in May-June, then cloudiness increases. The least amount of cloud cover is experienced in December-January.

Arctic locations don't receive much precipitation. What they do receive is generally snow during Fall and in Spring. They generally receive less than 10 inches of precipitation a year. This means they can be officially classified as a dessert!

The Arctic can also be windy! With little in the way to slow them, winds can sweep over huge areas of land depositing loads of snow when a landform or obstacle is reached. The summer months in the Arctic are actually the windiest.

Because of the low temperatures in the Arctic, low moisture content is usually found there. The colder the air, the less moisture it can hold. Air over land is significantly colder and dryer then air over the Arctic seas. A typical humidity of air over a land surface might be 50% relative humidity.

Here a German researcher is fixing an instrument called a pyranometer (in the tube). He is trying to collect weather data while on an Arctic ice floe. A pyranometer measures solar radiation. Figure from the NSIDC Arctic Climatology and Meteorology Primer

Ok, so you know the Arctic is cold, right? But did you know that minimum temperatures of -90°Fahrenheit (-68° Celsius) can be reached in Greenland and northern Siberia during winter months?!? That's pretty cold! Now it's not that cold all the time all over the Arctic. The average Arctic winter temperature is -30° F (-34°C), while the average Arctic summer temperature is 37-54° F (3-12° C).

In general, Arctic winters are long and cold while summers are short and cool. And some places in the Arctic are actually warmer then you might expect because they are near the coast and are warmed by the warm ocean water.

The clouds found most in the Arctic are low stratus and stratocumulus clouds. Springtime is the cloudiest while Winter is the least cloudy.

Arctic places don't get much precipitation. What they do get is usually snow during Fall and in Spring. They usually get less than 10 inches of precipitation a year. This means they can be officially classified as a dessert!

The Arctic can also be windy! With little in the way to slow them, winds can sweep over huge areas of land dropping loads of snow when an obstacle is hit. The summer months in the Arctic are the windiest.

It is not very humid in the Arctic. The cold air just can't hold much moisture!

Scientists often have to work out in the cold to take weather readings in the Arctic. Figure from the NSIDC Arctic Climatology and Meteorology Primer

Ok, so you know the Arctic is cold, right? Did you know that it can be -90°F (-68° C) in the winter in the Arctic? That's SO cold!

Not everywhere is that cold though. In summer, things warm up to 37-54° F (3-12° C). Still not warm enough to go to the pool! In winter things are very cold all over with an average Arctic temperature of -30° F (-34°C).

At least in the winter, it is least cloudy! The Arctic has the most clouds in the springtime. They are usually stratus and stratocumulus clouds.

Arctic places don't get much precipitation. What they do get is usually snow.

The Arctic can be windy! Winds sweep over big areas of land dropping loads of snow when a hill or building is hit. The summer months in the Arctic are the windiest.

Weather in the Arctic can be extreme, but many people have lived their for a long, long time.