During the southern winter, the South Pole receives no sunlight at all, and in summer, the sun is always low in the sky. Much of the sunlight that does reach the surface is reflected by the white snow. The South Pole has one of the coldest climates on earth. Temperatures at the South Pole are much lower than at the North Pole, primarily because the South Pole is located in the middle of a continental land mass, while the North Pole is at sea level in the middle of an ocean. In midsummer, temperatures at the South Pole average around -250C. In winter, the temperature remains steady at around -650C. The highest temperature ever recorded -140C, and the lowest is -830C. The South Pole has a desert climate.