Minneapolis was briefly colder than Mars as wintry weather expands across US
A late-November cold snap sent temperatures in Minneapolis so low that, for a short time, it was actually colder than Mars, according to readings from NASA’s Curiosity rover.
NASA has uncovered spots on rocks created or modified by water on Mars in the past.
The end of November delivered the coldest weather in months to the north-central United States, and in Minneapolis, it was briefly colder than it was on Mars.
On Thanksgiving Day, Minneapolis reached only 27 degrees, followed by several days stuck in the mid- to upper 20s, about 10 degrees below the historical average. It was the coldest stretch the city had seen since February.
Meanwhile, 225 million miles away on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity rover measured daytime highs around 30 degrees — just warm enough to edge out Minneapolis during the same period.
This composite image made from a series of June 15, 2018, photos shows a self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover in the Gale Crater. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP)
The comparison took a dramatic turn after sunset.
Late-November nights dipped into the teens and 20s across Minneapolis, but temperatures on Mars dropped far lower. Curiosity recorded overnight lows near 100 degrees below zero, a reminder that even if the afternoon readings appear similar, the Red Planet is still an entirely different world.
The temperature swings on Mars occur because of its thin atmosphere and the lack of meaningful water vapor, both of which allow heat to escape rapidly once the sun sets.
Weather reports from NASA's Curiosity Rover from Nov. 23 through Nov. 29. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/CAB(CSIC-INTA))
Curiosity has been tracking Martian weather since landing in 2012, using onboard instruments to monitor temperature, wind and pressure. These measurements have helped scientists study everyday weather patterns on Mars.
Even with its thin atmosphere, the Red Planet still gets windy, and Curiosity has documented several dust devils twisting across the Martian landscape.
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover spotted this dust devil on Aug. 9, 2020. The frames in this GIF were shot over 4 minutes and 15 seconds. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI)
For Minneapolis, and the rest of the Midwest, even colder air is on the way as the polar vortex unleashes waves of Arctic air across the region through mid-December.
Report a Typo
