The Arctic climate is characterized by cold winters and cool summers. Most received less than 50 cm per year. Strong winds often raise the snow had already fallen, creating the illusion of continuous snow.

The average temperature in winter can be as low as -40 ° C (-40 ° F), and the coldest temperature recorded is approximately -68 ° C (-90 ° F) in Verkhoyansk, Russia. The Arctic coastal climates are moderated by oceanic influence, with temperatures generally warmer, although there is a higher occurrence of snowfall in this region than the colder regions and droughts in the interior. The Arctic is affected by current global warming.The Arctic vegetation consists of plants, shrubs and dwarf grasses, herbs, mosses and lichens, which grow relatively close to the ground, forming the tundra, the only vegetation that is resistant to these conditions. If summer temperatures remain slightly colder, there is a decrease in abundance, productivity and variety of arctic plants. The trees can not develop in the Arctic but warmer in the Arctic, shrubs are common and can reach 2 m high; sedges, mosses and lichens can form thick layers. In colder parts of the Arctic, most of the ground is bare, nonvascular plants predominate, such as lichens and mosses, along with grasses and herbaceous endowed with flowers, which grow in scattered locations, such as poppy Ártico.In surface, predominate banquisas.