Viruses and bacteria in general cannot survive out in extreme (cold and hot) temperatures but it also depends on microbe itself. Bacteria generally die out in extreme temperatures since they don't need a host to survive but viruses are a different story since they need a host. So if someone coughs on a door handle in Antarctica, then that virus probably won't live too long unless a host picks it up during its infectivity period but if someone coughs out and it directly enters another host, then the host can still be easily infected. The virus will survive in that host fine since our internal conditions are perfect for them despite the external conditions.
Also some viruses transmit better in cold temperatures. Like the flu virus for example. The coronavirus has similar properties to the flu virus though so it would make sense that it would transmit better in colder temperatures. It's also why a lot of people (in my country at least) have been waiting for summer. It's expected that it won't be able to transmit as well as it did in the winter because it'll be hot and flu-like viruses cannot survive in that weather.
Also I would assume the reason cold places like Antarctica are last to be infected is because not many people travel there so it's less likely for a virus to transmit between people. I'm assuming someone who recently travelled was infected and they spread it. It wouldn't have anything to do with the weather.
I'm a microbiology major and viruses and bacteria are my fave topics along with white blood cells so I may know a bit too much about these microbes lol.
I'll tag
@Reo as well since you were the one who brought it up :)