How much snow falls in Antarctica each year?

An average of 6.5 inches of snow falls on Antarctica, and most of that snow falls across the outer portions of the continent. The interior receives as little as 1 inch per year, while the coast often receives yards of snow.

Although the continent experiences mean annual temperatures that are below freezing and is covered in ice, Antarctica is considered a desert. It is covered in ice sheets and icebergs because when snow rarely melts after it falls. The harsh, prolonged winds may carry the snow across the continent. Due to these conditions, there is little plant life and few people, except during the summer tourist season. Seals and penguins are able to live there despite the snowy, icy landscape.