Minneapolis was colder than MARS last month
An Arctic cold front is sweeping the nation, and northern cities like Minneapolis are feeling the brunt of it, with temperatures dropping below Mars.
Even though some cities saw warm weather in October, November made those days feel like a lifetime ago.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, hit 27 degrees Fahrenheit on Thanksgiving Day - and temperatures continued to drop to 10 degrees below the historical average, marking the coldest stretch in the area since February, according to the AccuWeather meteorology team.
The temperatures in the city were so biting; they were even colder than on Mars, which measured a surface temperature of around 30 degrees last week, according to data recorded by NASA's Curiosity Rover.
Earth is rarely colder than Mars, a planet that averages around -85 degrees, because the atmosphere is so thin.
Mars's atmosphere is unable to trap heat like Earth's, so the planet can drop to temperatures as low as -225 degrees.
The further the planets are from the Sun, the colder they typically are. Uranus and Neptune are the last planets in our solar system and can reach temperatures as low as -330 degrees, according to NASA.
The brief period when Mars was warmer than Earth ended as the Sun set on both planets.
Temperatures dropped to the low 20s in Minnesota last week as snow hit Minneapolis the day before Thanksgiving
Temperatures were so low that even Mars was warmer last week, recording a temperature of 30 degrees on Thanksgiving Day
Temperatures in Minneapolis dropped into the teens overnight last week during a brutal winter storm
The temperature in Minneapolis dropped into the teens, but temperatures on Mars reached a staggering -100 degrees overnight last week.
Since Mars has a thinner atmosphere and is further from the Sun, heat doesn't hold overnight, and temperatures drop drastically when the Sun sets.
Meanwhile, on Earth, bitter temperatures are set to continue, as meteorologists at AccuWeather warn of a polar vortex affecting the central and eastern US through December.
A polar vortex occurs when strong winds form in the stratosphere above the North Pole.
When the vortex is stable, it stays above the North Pole, but if it's disrupted, warm air moves North while cold air moves South.
AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said in a news release that parts of the US can expect Arctic air as the polar vortex has been displaced.
Pictured: The average, high, and low temperatures recorded by NASA's Curiosity Rover last week
Meteorologists predicted a polar vortex pushing Arctic air into the US until mid-December
The winter weather will impact parts of the US, resulting in snowstorms and frigid temperatures over the weekend
'The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that,' Pastelok said Tuesday.
The Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska can expect subzero temperatures as the cold front persists.
Those in the Northeast can also expect frigid temperatures over the weekend, as the Adirondacks and northeastern New York drop below zero.
The northern Great Plains to the Midwest will likely be hit with snow this weekend as winter weather persists.
