The Arctic is the stretch of land north of the Subarctic forests.
The area is one of the harshest environments in the world. For much of the year, the ground is covered with snow and ice.
In January, temperatures can fall as low as 35° below zero. Powerful winds make the frigid air feel even colder and blow up the snow into enormous drifts.
During the dead of winter, there is also very little sunlight. For several months, the sun never rises. The landscape is bathed in twilight for several hours each day, but otherwise the sky is dark.
