Climate in Dumont Durville (Antarctica)

At the permanent base Dumont d'Urville, built in 1956 and belonging to France, there is a polar climate, with average temperatures below freezing almost all year round. In summer, in December and January, the daily averages approach freezing, and the maximum slightly exceed this value.
The station is located on the coast of Antarctica, about 2,600 kilometers (1,615 miles) south of Tasmania, at 66 degrees south latitude (the same, on the other side of the world, as northern Iceland), just south of the Antarctic Circle, in the small Petrel Island.
We are in Adélie Land, the area of ​​the continent north-east of the East Antarctic plateau, where the coldest areas in the world are located. The altitude reaches 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) about 170 km (105 mi) away from the station.
The station also serves as a logistical base to supply the Franco-Italian station of Concordia, which is located 1,100 km (685 mi) to the south-west, in the area called Dome C, at 3,200 meters (10,500 ft) above sea level.
Around the Dumont d'Urville station there are no plant species, not even mosses and lichens, however the fauna is rich, especially in summer, and includes penguins, migratory birds and seals, as well as orcas and whales in the ocean.
Since the ice extends over the sea in winter, the station is only accessible from November to March. However, the station remains operational even in winter, with a reduced staff.



The average annual temperature is -11 °C (12 °F), and has changed little in recent decades. While the summer temperatures are quite stable, in winter, from May to September, they fluctuate a lot. However, due to the prevalence of inland winds, winter is colder than at Casey Station, and periods when the temperature approaches freezing are rarer. The highest records in July and August are around 0.5 °C (33 °F).
The coldest record since 1965 is -36.5 °C (-33.7 °F), set in August 1990.
In summer, the temperature can sometimes exceed freezing by a few degrees. The heat record is 9.9 °C (49.8 °F), set in December 2001.
Here are the average temperatures.

The atmospheric pressure is very low, 987 hPa on average.
Adélie Land is the area of ​​Antarctica where the wind is strongest.
The wind normally blows from the south-east. Katabatic winds, coming from the inland ice sheet, can arrive suddenly, rushing into the sea with hurricane force, raising the snow and reducing visibility to zero.
The average wind at the Dumont d'Urville station is 33 kph (20 mph), with a minimum from November to January of 28/30 kph (17/18.5 mph), and two maximums of 36/37 kph (22/23 mph), one at the beginning of autumn, at February-March, and the other in early spring, in September. September is also the month in which the days with winds above 140 kph (85 mi) are most likely (5).
The maximum peak (sustained wind) was 195 kph (120 mph), recorded on October 1, 2020. The record gust since 1981 was 245 kph (152 mph), while in July 1972 a gust of 327 kph (203 mph) was measured.
Before the Dumont d'Urville station, in 1950 the French had built a base, Port-Martin, further east, in an even windier area. In fact, about 340 km (210 mi) south-east of Dumont d'Urville, on the ice cap, at 1,100 meters (3,600 ft) above sea level, there is the windiest area in the world, with an average of 58.7 kph (36.5 mph).

Due to the strong wind, which carries away the snow, at the Dumont d'Urville station they give up measuring the precipitation, however it is estimated that it ranges from 200 to 300 millimeters (8 to 12 inches) per year. In a year there are 102 days with snow or sleet. Rain almost never occurs, however, sometimes freezing rain (which freezes upon contact with the ground) may fall.
The amount of sunshine at the Dumont d'Urville station is moderate, amounting to 1,950 hours per year. The sunniest months are November and December, between the end of spring and the beginning of summer.
Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Although it is located just south of the polar circle, the Dumont d'Urville base does not experience polar night due to atmospheric refraction. However, from late May to mid-July, the day lasts less than 4 hours, and at the winter solstice, June 21st or 22nd depending on year, the day lasts just under two and a half hours, during which the sun remains practically on the horizon.
In summer, the polar day occurs, when the sun never sets, from December 7th to January 7th. For a few weeks, before and after this period, the sun remains close to the horizon even at midnight, providing some light, so the so-called "white nights" occur.
At the summer solstice, December 21st or 22nd, at midday the sun reaches 47 degrees above the horizon, which is twice as high as at the South Pole.

Curiosity: about 350 km (215 mi) north-west of the Dumont d'Urville station, at 64 degrees south latitude, in the ocean, therefore very far from the pole, is the South Magnetic Pole. Instead, the North Magnetic Pole is much closer to the geographic North Pole, at 86 degrees north latitude. However, both magnetic poles gradually shift over the years.