
Antarctica is the snowiest and most ice-covered place on Earth—yet paradoxically, it’s also the world’s largest desert. Less than half a percent of the continent is ice-free, and the Antarctic Ice Sheet contains a staggering 30 million cubic kilometers (7.2 million cubic miles) of ice. This single ice sheet holds about 70% of the planet’s freshwater and 90% of its total ice.
Despite this immense ice cover, Antarctica receives very little annual precipitation—averaging less than 8 inches a year, and often far less in the interior. That qualifies it as a desert, defined not by heat, but by how little it rains or snows. And due to the continent’s extreme cold, what little snow does fall tends to remain frozen indefinitely. Antarctica is, by far, the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on Earth.

Humidity in Antarctica can plunge as low as 1%—a stark contrast to cities like New York or London, where humidity typically ranges between 50–90%. Temperatures can fall below –128°F, locking virtually all water and moisture into solid ice. This produces a type of snow very different from the moldable, fluffy powder we associate with winter holidays. Antarctic snow is dry, icy, and grainy—more like cold sand than the packable snow used to build snowmen.
This happens because moldable snow needs moisture. Just as flour sifts freely in its dry state, Antarctic snow lacks the water content needed to bind grains together. But add water to flour, and it becomes dough—malleable and elastic. The same principle applies to snow: without moisture, it won’t clump, stick, or form snowballs.

Antarctica’s extreme dryness affects more than just snow quality—it even dulls the human senses. The lack of moisture means there are fewer airborne molecules to carry smells. Visitors often describe the air as scentless. Upon re-entering civilization, the onslaught of smells —food, exhaust, perfume—can be overwhelming for most after months in a sensory vacuum.
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Though Antarctica may be known for its harsh climate, it is also a land of stunning contrast and beauty—from towering mountains, to desert valleys, Antarctica is truly a place of majesty. That beauty, however, is under increasing threat from climate change. According to NASA, Antarctica is losing ice at a rate of 136 billion tons per year. Polar ice melt is a major contributor to rising sea levels. Depending on global warming scenarios, between 130 million and 500 million people live in areas that could be submerged.
If we want our winters to remain filled with snowball fights and snowman-building contests, we cannot afford to look away. Antarctica may feel distant, but its fate is intimately connected to ours.
