Arctic Circle HVAC And Other Fun North Pole Facts

Reindeer Hides and Up to Date Heating Systems Required

It may feel like we’re living in the Arctic Circle with this cold snap, but some really do call the area around the North Pole home. Whether you count Santa Claus as one of those residents or not (and we sure do), there’s far more going on in this fascinating area of the world than most people realize.

Keeping The Thermostat at 15 Degrees

First, for tourists brave enough to endure average temps of -40F even in this era of climate change, did you know you can actually stay in an igloo when you visit? 200 km from the Arctic Circle, the Ice Hotel in the Swedish village of Jukkajarvi features both warm and cold rooms for their guests. Of course, the cold rooms are carved from blocks of solid ice, harvested each winter and crafted into actual guestrooms before the tourist season begins.

Kept at a temperature of 15-23 degrees Fahrenheit by a very precise and unique thermostat, these “cold rooms” are equipped with thermal sleeping bags and reindeer hides . The hotel recommends you bring long underwear, but they do offer icy Wi-Fi for your convenience.

 

The North Pole May Soon Need Air Conditioning

The North Pole is not a landmass. Instead, it’s actually a floating ice sheet with a size that is constantly changing, depending on the temperature. Recent climate patterns suggest that the polar ice cap is steadily melting, resulting in rising sea levels and less ice. We’re not sure how this affects Santa’s square footage, or his residential heating and air conditioning system, but we’re pretty sure he’s not happy about it.

For the indigenous Inuit tribes who live in the Arctic areas of Canada and Alaska, this also means a marked lifestyle shift, as well as diminished populations of native species like halibut, reindeer and the polar bear. The decades ahead will determine the consequences of this historic temperature shift to the area.

For Children Everywhere, a Letter To Santa Still Means the North Pole

Regardless of the shifting weather patterns the Arctic is experiencing, some things never change. For example, did you know the US Postal Service still has a mail box for Santa? Any letter sent to the North Pole Postmark Postmaster, 41-41 Postmark Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99530 will return with a North Pole postmark that lets fans know that  the old man in the red suit really saw it! These letters have to be sent in by December 10, but good news! You can still email Santa any day of the year, and get a reply back within 24 hours from one of his grumpy elves.

Whatever your traditions, Air Tro wishes you and your family a holiday season filled with joy, and the very best for the new year! Call us at (626)357-3535.