An ice cap climate is a type of polar climate found in the polar regions, like Antarctica and the Arctic, and at high altitudes, like the Himalayas. In this climate, the temperature never goes above 0°C (32°F), even in summer. Because of this, snow and ice stay on the ground all year.

In the Köppen climate classification, the ice cap climate is called EF. It is found in places where the temperature is never above 0°C (32°F) in any month of the year.^[1] The 3 major areas where ice cap climate is found on Antarctica, inner Greenland, and the summits of many high mountains, particularly the 10 highest mountains of the world. The tundra climate (called ET) is different from the ice cap climate: Tundras have a short summer, where temperatures go above freezing, and this melts some ice and allows plants to grow. Ice cap areas are too cold for any plants to grow. The ice cap climate is the coldest climate in the world. The coldest place on Earth is Vostok Station in Antarctica. Its average temperature is −55.2°C (−67.4°F), and the lowest temperature ever recorded there was −89.2°C (−128.6°F) at July 21, 1983.

The ice cap climate is found in:

• Antarctica
• Greenland's interior
• The summits of the mountains of the Himalayas, Karakoram, Tian Shan Mountains, Pamir Mountains, Hindu Kush Mountains, and Kunlun Mountains.
• Some ice caps of the Arctic islands of Canada, Russia, and Svalbard.

The weather in ice cap climates is the coldest of all. The description of an ice cap climate is:

• Extremely cold – winter temperatures can go below −60°C (−76°F)
• Very dry – there is little snowfall, making it a polar desert
• Windy – strong winds can make it feel even colder (wind chill)
• Dark in winter, with 24-hour daylight in summer (polar day and polar night) (excluding the Asian mountain summits)

Since the temperature never melts the snow, it builds up over thousands of years. This creates:

• Thick ice sheets and ice shelves
• Glaciers that slowly move toward the sea
• Icebergs that break off and float in the ocean

Very few plants or animals live in ice cap climates. There are:

• No trees or bushes
• Only small plants like moss and lichens (in some areas near the coast)
• Penguins, seals, and seabirds (in Antarctica)
• Polar bears, seals, and walruses (in the Arctic)

Because it is so cold and isolated, no people live permanently in ice cap climates. However:

• Scientists visit to study the ice, climate, and wildlife
• Research stations are built on the ice in places like Antarctica
• The ice cap climate is important for studying climate change

1. ↑ McKnight, Tom L; Hess, Darrel (2000). "Climate Zones and Types: The Köppen System". Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. pp. 235–7. ISBN 978-0-13-020263-5.