Periglacial areas are those which, although not actually glaciated, are exposed to very cold conditions with intense frost action and the develoment of permanently frozen ground of permafrost. At present, areas such as the tundra of northern Russia, Alsaka and northern Canada, together with high mountainous areas such as the Alps, experience a periglacial climate. In the past, however, as ice sheets and glaciers spread, many areas which are now temperate were subject to such conditions.
The climate of periglacial regions is marked by a persistently low temperatures. Summers are short but temperatures can sometimes reach above 15 degrees Celsuis. In winter, the temperature remains well below zero and in some may fall below -50 degrees Celsuis at times.