Antarctica Summer Temperatures: Coastal Thaw, Interior Deep Freeze

Antarctica's summer (December–February) temperatures vary radically by location:

• Coastal Stations (e.g., McMurdo, Rothera, Palmer): -5°C to +5°C (23–41°F). Can reach +10°C (50°F) on sunny, windless days. Ice melt occurs.
• Peninsula (Antarctic Peninsula): Mildest; 0°C to +10°C (32–50°F) common; moss/lichen growth possible.
• Interior / Plateau (e.g., Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station): -20°C to -30°C (-4 to -22°F). Rarely above -15°C. Permanent ice cap.
• Vostok / Dome A (Highest/Eastern Plateau): -30°C to -40°C (-22 to -40°F) even in summer. Coldest places on Earth.

Average continent-wide summer temp: ~-5°C (23°F). The coast experiences brief "thaw"; the interior remains brutally cold. Katabatic winds (gravity-driven, 100+ mph) cause extreme wind chill everywhere.