Siberia is a breeding ground for extremely cold temperatures, thanks to its long winter nights, abundance of snow and location deep in Russia's interior, away from any body of water that might have a moderating effect on its weather, says Bob Oravec, lead forecaster at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service in Camp Springs, Md. Looking at his weather map this week, Oravec saw that pockets of Siberia were recording minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit (although he could not specifically determine the temperature in Oymyakon).