List of 9 Coldest Deserts in the World, Check Here!

Rank

Coldest Desert

Location

Notes

1

Antarctic Desert

Antarctica

It is the world’s coldest & largest cold desert (−89.2°C recorded).

2

Arctic Desert

Arctic Circle (North Pole)

It covers Greenland, Canada, and Russia, and is the second coldest desert.

3

Gobi Desert

China & Mongolia

Known for extreme seasonal shifts with temperatures ranging from −40°C in winter, hot summers.

4

Great Basin Desert

USA (Nevada, Utah)

It has cold winters, and it is the largest desert in the U.S.

5

Karakum Desert

Turkmenistan (Central Asia)

Harsh winters and a dry, cold desert climate.

6

Patagonian Desert

Argentina

It is the largest desert in South America.

7

Karakoram/Ladakh Cold Desert

India (Ladakh region)

It is India’s coldest desert, which is located at a high altitude.

8

Taklamakan Desert

China (Xinjiang)

Harsh winter temperatures, among Asia’s cold deserts.

9

Atacama Desert

Chile (South America)

One of the driest places on Earth, cold desert climate.

• Is the Gobi Desert the coldest desert? No, it’s among the coldest, but not the coldest, as it experiences both icy winters and scorching summers.

• What is India’s coldest desert? The Ladakh Cold Desert, located in the Himalayas.

• Is Kutch a cold desert? No, the Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh, and not a cold desert.

• Does anything live in the Atacama Desert? Yes, despite being hyper-arid, it has unique microbes and some hardy plant species.

• Is Patagonia a cold desert? Yes, it’s windy, arid, and cold, which makes it one of South America’s coldest deserts.

• Is Antarctica technically a desert? Yes, it meets the definition of a desert due to its extremely low rainfall.

• Second coldest desert in the world? The Arctic Desert covers Greenland, Alaska, and Siberia.

• Coldest desert in Asia? The Gobi Desert and Ladakh Cold Desert are the most notable.

• World’s coldest desert in Pakistan? Pakistan has cold high-altitude areas, but not a major cold desert like Ladakh.