酷寒

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 酷寒 (こっかん) is severe, hard-to-endure cold. It appears as a regional trait and an environment endured.
• Basic usage: An expedition wears heavy clothing in a frigid land; people endure bitter cold in a lodge.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Extreme climate of a place and cold directly endured
  • 酷寒の地 modifies location; 酷寒に耐える makes cold an adversity. It is stronger and more literary than ordinary winter cold.