Does it snow in Antarctica?

Antarctica; the southernmost, most restricted, and most dangerous continent on Earth; is a gigantic 5,500,000 square miles frozen landmass that floats just south of the Antarctic Circle, containing in its territorial extension the geographic South Pole.

Contrary to popular belief, Antarctica is not the smallest continent on Earth; Antarctica is even 40% larger than Europe.

Despite its whitish and cold landscapes, the annual rainfall in Antarctica barely reaches 6 inches since this is, in reality, a gigantic polar desert. For this reason, one might ask: does it snow in Antarctica?

Although Antarctic temperatures are too low, especially in August when they hover between -40°F and -94°F, snowfall is sparse, except in the coastal regions of the continent. However, even in these regions, snowfall remains low.

Snow in Antarctica? ❄

Antarctica is not a particularly snowy continent. Although its whitish and cold landscapes may give the impression that it does not stop snowing on this continent, in reality, the climate of Antarctica is quite desert, so rainfall is scarce.

Likewise, due to the inhospitality of the region and the remarkable level of government protectionism that Antarctica enjoys, it is almost impossible to establish a precise historical record of its snowfall.

However, the Antarctica snowfalls are measurable enough to generate a weather phenomenon known as White Wind – a blizzard of snow with speeds over 43.49 mph.

The climate of Antarctica ⛅

ANTARCTICA WEATHER

Why is Antarctica considered the most inhospitable continent of all? The answer is simple: because of its climate.

Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on the planet, so it is not surprising that it has several dangerous weather factors for its potential visitors.

Generally, when talking about its low temperatures, most people tend to compare it to other cold regions of the Earth. However, Antarctica's climate is beyond comparison as it is not only the southernmost continent of all but also has very-high terrain (it can reach 9,000 feet).

Although Antarctica, like any other region in the world, experiences fluctuations in its temperature throughout the year, its average temperature always remains below freezing point (32 °F) in any season, even in the warmest parts of the continent, such as its coasts.

When does it snow in Antarctica? 🌨

Unlike other regions of the planet, the historical record rainfall of Antarctica is unknown since the inhospitality of the continent makes this task extremely difficult.

For this reason, it is difficult (almost impossible) to indicate precisely in which months it is possible to see snowfall in Antarctica, not only because of the logistical difficulty involved in such measurement but also because of the infrequency with which this meteorological phenomenon occurs.

However, in general terms, snowfalls are notably frequent during the summer (yes!, during the summer), in other words, from the end of December to the end of March, although it could also occur in any month of the year, depending on the region of the continent.

How much does it snow in Antarctica? 🌨

Due to multiple meteorological and logistical factors, it has not been possible to establish a precise historical record of snowfall in Antarctica.

However, since most of the precipitation this continent receives falls as snow, its total annual rainfall record can be taken as a rough record of its snowfall per year.

Generally, the average precipitation rainfall rates in Antarctica have a wide range, ranging from 25 inches in the peninsular regions of the continent to 2 inches at the higher ground in the interior of Antarctica.