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90 Cold Things

John Spacey, updated on May 31, 2024

Cold is a lack of thermal energy. Cold things have low kinetic energy at the particle level whereby the random motion of their particles is relatively inactive. On Planet Earth, this is primarily associated with locations and time periods that lack the intense sunlight required to create warmth. Cold is also pervasive in outer space where the cosmic background temperature is about -455 degrees Fahrenheit or -270 Celsius. Cold can also be created or distributed by weather and technologies such as a freezer or air conditioner. The following are common cold things, phenoms and places.

Air conditioning	Alaska
Alpine climates	Antarctic
Antarctic ocean	Arctic
Arctic ocean	Avalanche
Blizzards	Boomerang nebula
Canada	Caves
Cold air	Cold climates
Cold front	Cold showers
Condensation	Cooler
Cucumbers	Deep ocean water
Desserts	Dew
Fans	Far side of the moon
Finland	Fog
Freezer	Freezing rain
Fridge	Frost
Frost flowers	Frozen food
Frozen yogurt	Gelato
Glacier	Greenland
Hail	Ice
Ice cream	Ice cream sandwiches
Ice cubes	Ice rinks
Ice sheets	Ice shelves
Ice storms	Ice water
Iceland	Igloo
Jelly	Lakes
Milk	Milkshakes
Mist	Mongolia
Mountains	Night
North pole	Ocean
Outer space	Permafrost
Polar seas	Popsicle
Pudding	Rain
Rainstorms	Rivers
Russia	Seas
Shaved ice	Siberia
Ski slopes	Sleet
Slush	Smoothies
Snow	Snowball
Snowflakes	Snowman
Snowstorm	Soft drinks
Soft serve	South pole
Sundae	Swimming pools
Tundra	Vapor
Vending Machines	Wind
Winter	Zamboni

Cucumbers are culturally used as a cool or cold food. For example, they are viewed as a summer food that can cool you down. This is a cultural thing that may not have much basis in reality.

Naturally Cold Things

The following are elements of nature that are characteristically or often cold.

Cold Places

The following places are relatively cold or are often portrayed as cold.

Cold Foods

Foods that are traditionally served cool or cold.

Cold Classics

Things that are symbols of the cold without necessarily being cold themselves. Things can also be conceptually cold such as a cold color.

examples of things that are symbolic of the cold

Cold Rarities

Cold things that are lesser known or that rarely occur.

What is the Cold?

Coldness is a lack of energy and movement in the particles that make up an object, substance or environment. Generally speaking, this occurs with a lack of exposure to energy sources such as sunlight.

Absolute Zero

Absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature that can theoretically be reached at about −459.67° Fahrenheit or −273.15° Celsius. At this temperature, particles have minimal energy and motion. The vast regions of relatively empty space between stars and galaxies known as interstellar space are thought to be very close to absolute zero.

Coldest Place on Earth

The coldest temperatures on Earth occur in Antarctica. In 1983, the temperature of Vostok Station in Antarctica was measured at -128.6° Fahrenheit or -89.2° Celsius. However, satellites have detected lower temperatures on the surface of Antarctica with the lowest temperature detected at -135.8° Fahrenheit or -93.2° Celsius on Antarctica's East Antarctic Plateau in August 10, 2010.

How Cold is Liquid Nitrogen?

Liquid nitrogen has a boiling point of -320.37° Fahrenheit or -195.79° Celsius. So in order to keep nitrogen as a liquid you must keep it under this temperature typically using cryogenic storage tanks known as dewars. Liquid nitrogen will rapidly boil at normal Earth temperatures. It would even boil at the coldest temperatures found in Antarctica.

How Cold is Space?

As mentioned above, interstellar space gets very close to absolute zero and is extremely cold. However, the space in our solar system tends to be warmer due to the Sun and this temperature will depend on factors such as shadows from planets and other celestial bodies. On the sunlit side of the Earth, objects like satellites or spacecraft in low Earth orbit can quickly rise to several hundred degrees Fahrenheit. In the Earth's shadow this can fall to -100° Fahrenheit or lower. This is similar to the lowest temperatures that occur in Antarctica.

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