We are building a new house, not yet started. I have planned to put a cold storage room in the basement, but I'm confused about the need for ventilation.

Won't the vent cause the room to freeze when it drops to -40 degrees outside? I'm thinking we need some kind of insulation in the vent for the winter? Does there need to be a fan? Or just a hole? Should I be concerned about moisture and critters getting in through this vent?

Do I even need a vent? I live in a very dry climate. We do get snow and rain, and it seeps into the ground, so the basement walls will be waterproofed. But the air is quite dry. Houses all have humidifiers to keep the air breathable, and to keep our indoor woods from cracking.

Having too much humidity in our cold room won't be an issue. If anything, our cold room might even be drier that we would ideally want it to be.