Antarctica: When to Go

Tourists do not visit Antarctica during winter, when the pack ice extends its frozen mantle for 1000km (621mi) around most of the continent, barricading it against all ship traffic. In any case, few people would pay thousands of dollars to experience the Antarctic winter's near round-the-clock darkness and extreme cold. At that temperature, boiling water thrown into the air freezes instantly - and noisily - into a cloud of snow.

The Antarctic tour season is short - about four months, with each offering its own highlights. November is early summer: the spring pack ice is breaking up, and birds - especially penguins - are courting and mating. December and January, when penguins are hatching eggs and feeding chicks, are the height of the austral summer, bringing warmer temperatures and up to 20 hours of sunlight every day. In the late summer month of February, whale-watching is best, penguin chicks are beginning to fledge and adult penguins are ashore molting.

There are other factors to consider in deciding when to travel: cruises later in the season may be less crowded, so you may not spend as much time waiting around for Zodiacs (motorised dinghies) and station tours. However, the longer you wait to go, the greater the risk that much of the wildlife will already have headed out to sea. For those wishing to see Ross Island's historic huts, your best bet is to go as late in the season as possible. Even with an icebreaker, it may be impossible to penetrate the pack ice that far south earlier in the season.

Weather

Antarctica is synonymous with cold. Mean temperatures in the Antarctic interior range get down to -70°C (-94°F) during the coldest month, and -35°C (-31°F) during the warmest month. On the coast, temperatures are considerably warmer: -15°C (5°F) to -32°C (-25°F) in the winter, and from 5°C (41°F) to -5°C (23°F) in the summer. The Antarctic Peninsula experiences the highest temperatures year round. The interior of Antarctica is the world's driest desert, since the extreme cold freezes water vapour out of the air. Annual snowfall on the polar plateau is equivalent to less than 5cm (2in) of rain. Antarctica experiences some of the strongest winds on the planet: the katabatics can achieve velocities of up to 320kmph (199mph). The winds on the polar plateau, by contrast, are usually very light. Antarctic whiteouts and blizzards - which can be extremely dangerous - are common.