Antarctic Weather Stations

Despite its size, Antarctica does not have the seasonal variety we have in the United States. Across the continent, Antarctica has only two seasons: a long, uniformly cold winter and a very brief summer. The graphs that follow come from the three bases run by the US Antarctic Program: Palmer Station, a coastal site above the the Antarctic circle; McMurdo Station, the main US base in Antarctica, located on the Ross Ice Shelf; and Amundsen-Scott, located at the south pole on the continent's high icy plateau.

 

Station	Latitude	Longitude
Amundsen-Scott	90°S	---
McMurdo	78°S	167°E
Palmer	65°S	64°W

 

Compared to most places in the United States, Antarctica does not get a lot of precipitation. In fact, the continent is known as the coldest desert on earth! Very little precipitation falls at the south pole (less than 1 inch per year!), but it gets wetter as you move out toward the coasts.

 

 

At the south pole, average temperatures never get above 0°F (-18°C), but conditions are relatively mild throughout the year at Palmer Station with temperatures hovering just below the freezing point, 32°F (0°C).

 

 

 

 

Sunlight plays an important role in the climate of Antarctica. Temperatures plunge in March as the sun disappears below the horizon, then rise swiftly again in September as the sun returns after the equinox. Most research on the continent takes place from October through February when the days are long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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