What It's Like To Experience Antarctic Temperatures (Without Going to Antarctica)

16th February 2026 - New Experience Number 4.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like experiencing Antarctic temperatures?

There are some places on Earth that most of us will never experience.

Antarctica is probably one of them.

I’d spent years reading about it, watching documentaries and imagining what it must feel like to stand in one of the harshest environments on the planet.

Then I found a way to experience a tiny glimpse of it… without ever setting foot on the continent. And of course I claimed it as one of my 52 new things in the year.

I Don’t Mind The Cold

I quite like winter. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the short dreary days that seem to be a persistent feature in the UK version of the cold season. But I find a crisp frosty morning, or a snow-covered landscape to be intoxicatingly evocative.

As long as I can layer up, I’m usually quite content going out in sub-zero temperatures, knowing that I have a warm and safe haven to return to.

But I was intrigued to feel what it is really like to experience the cold of the Antarctic. I had a feeling it would be a little nippier than I’m used to.

International Antarctic Centre

During our travels around the South Island in New Zealand, we arrived for our two day stay in Christchurch and discovered a museum that quickly made its way to the top of our itinerary.

The International Antarctic Centre.

Christchurch is one of the main gateways to Antarctica, so it seemed the perfect place to learn more about one of the most remote places on Earth.

Whilst you can buy tickets to visit the centre at your leisure and take your time going around the different exhibits, I’m glad that I’d booked us on to a guided tour.

Not only had our guide actually been to the Antarctic on several trips and could share first hand accounts with us and personally answer questions, it also meant we got priority when it came to some of the more interactive exhibits.

From meeting the huskies, to watching the penguins, discovering the impact climate change is having on the Antarctic and entering the storm room, this was an unforgettable visit.

What Is The Storm Room? - Experiencing Antarctic Temperatures

Looking through the window into the storm room, we saw the decorated snowy scene, complete with skidoos for photo props, and a thermometer to show the temperature.

It looked a bit like a winter-themed playroom for children, but play wouldn’t be happening for long.

Our guide gave us the option of borrowing a thick puffer jacket before entering. Strangely, nobody seemed keen to experience Antarctica in just a t-shirt, and everyone took him up on the offer.

Stepping inside the storm room I had a sudden affinity with a bottle of milk. It was like walking into a fridge. It was chilly but not icy cold. The temperature was certainly bearable at this stage, but we all gave each other side-eye glances as we braced ourselves for the icy onslaught that was due to commence.

Bracing Ourselves For The Storm

The screen on the wall showed the current room temperature, the wind speed and the wind chill.

People walked around the room, tentatively looking at the exhibits whilst waiting for the storm to begin. And what a storm it was.

I’ll never complain about the temperatures of a UK winter again! The fans kicked in, the coat hoods went up, and the force of the wind hit us with a horizontal blast.

It was cold. Zipping up jackets, hugging our arms around ourselves and pulling our hoods up tighter, the falling temperature still managed to creep through the seams of our garments.

Experiencing Antarctic Temperatures - The Wind Chill

The wind wasn’t one continuous battering. It wasn’t like the relentless charge of a rhinoceros which is what I’d imagined, where you’re leaning against the onslaught.

Instead it felt more like lots of firm fingers constantly jabbing at us. It wasn’t painful, but it was certainly something you knew about and would want to seek solace from after a minute or two.

Eyes narrowed as we squinted at the screens to see how fast the wind was attacking us, and we saw the temperature had plummeted.

The room had been a cool -8 degrees Celcius when we stepped inside.

With a wind speed reaching a forceful 42km per hour, the temperature soon dropped to an icier minus 18 degrees Celcius. Brrrr.

An Unrelenting Roar

The thing that I found most surprising, was how noisy it was.

The wind thundered around the room making it almost impossible to hear what anyone said.

Like the roar of a waterfall crashing onto water from a great height, it was relentless. It was so loud it almost made your brain wobble in your head.

A Chilling Realisation

I felt pretty pathetic. I’d chosen to stand here voluntarily. I knew I’d be stepping back to a more palatable temperature and still air in a minute or two, but people actually work in these conditions. For long periods of time.

Can you imagine trying to do anything useful when you have to move as though you’re wading through treacle in order to prevent yourself from being blown over or having any unfastened layers ripped off your back by the wind?

When you can barely see because your eyelashes are battling to stay open against the ferocious gusts?

Or having to resort to contorted facial expressions and limited arm gestures to communicate over the roar of the gale?

Standing there for just a couple of minutes was enough to make me appreciate the people who spend weeks or months working in Antarctica.
They’re not there for the experience. They’re there because the work matters.

It was a moment of cool realisation.

A New Respect For Past Expeditions

I’d always admired Tom Crean’s story. He was an Irishman who’d been on multiple Antarctic expeditions in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

But admiration from being curled up on the comfort of a sofa with a nice cup of tea is very different from standing in freezing winds trying to keep your eyes open.

Nowadays, with modern technology and advances in materials, the living quarters and methods of transportation at the south pole make life a little easier.

But Tom would have had to endure slow and heavy duties, a consistent slog of manual labour and little respite from the inevitable storms. He survived numerous head on battles with the force of nature, and experiencing the sorts of conditions he would have been in, even for such a short fraction of time, makes his story even more remarkable.

Warming Up - Experiencing Antarctic Temperatures

As the fans began to slow and the temperature slowly crept back up, there was a collective sense of relief that our storm room experience was coming to an end.

I felt thoroughly weathered and as though I’d taken on some epic challenge, when in actual fact I’d just been standing in a cold and windy room for ten minutes.

I don’t know how accurately it depicts a storm in Antarctica, but I’d certainly never been in conditions like it before.

An Experience Of Discovery

I’d expected to feel an insufferable cold, but it was the combination of having to screw up my eyes and the incredible volume of the wind, which gave me a new found appreciation for how difficult life must be in Antarctica.

Whilst I only experienced it for a few minutes, it was enough to help me appreciate just how tough it must be to spend any time at the south pole.

Why I Loved Stepping Into A Virtual Antarctic Storm

One of the things I’ve learnt from trying new things is that books and documentaries can teach us an enormous amount, but occasionally there’s no substitute for feeling something for yourself.

I’d expected the cold to be the thing I’d remember most.

It wasn’t.

It was the roar of the wind, the effort it took just to keep my eyes open, and the sudden realisation that I’d barely been in there for a couple of minutes.

That raw feeling of the unstoppable wind and freezing temperatures really brought to life the ideas I’d held in my mind from things I’d previously read, uncovered some unexpected sensations I’d never even considered, and gave me a new-found respect for the people who endure the harsh conditions, day after day.

Want To Experience Antarctic Temperatures For Yourself?

If you want to experience the Antarctic temperatures like we did in the storm room, you’ll need to visit the International Antarctic Centre.
It’s absolutely worth adding to your itinerary of you’re visiting Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand.

Cost Of Experience

We paid NZD$99 (around £44) per person for the two hour guided tour.
General admission costs NZD$74 per person (around £33) and includes access to the storm room.

Recommendations

Consider booking the guided tour. We chose the tour and I’m really glad we did. Our guide had actually been to Antarctica several times, which brought the exhibits to life with fascinating stories and first-hand experiences. It also gave us priority access to some of the interactive experiences.
Say yes to the coat. You might think you’ll be fine for a few minutes in the storm room… but trust me, that wind chill is fierce! Take the extra layer. Your future self will thank you.
Take your camera. The storm room is a fun place to capture some photos (although you may spend more time trying to keep your hood on than posing!).