Smithsonian Sunday: This Current Cold Snap Makes Earth Colder than the Surface of Mars

DC's Smithsonian museums (there are 17 of them here in the city) are among America's most treasured and visited places. But the Smithsonian also publishes a series of some of the most interesting, fact-filled blogs appearing anywhere on the internet. Each Sunday, The Prices Do DC re-posts an entry that initially appeared in one of those highly-readable Smithsonian blogs. Hope you enjoy and maybe we'll see you soon at the Smithsonian.

In northern Minnesota right now, the temperature has dipped to a staggering -42 F. The chill is running so deep in the North Star State that it’s not only colder than in the lands above the Arctic Circle, it’s actually colder than some of the daily temperatures on Mars—you know, the planet 78 million miles further from the Sun on average.

The source of these freezing temperatures, which are heading to the eastern states over the next couple weeks, is bubble of cold Arctic air is pushing down south, says Climate Central. “The coldest days in the East this week look to be Thursday through Saturday, with temperatures in northern New England struggling to rise to near zero, and highs in the teens or single digits from Boston to Albany and New York City on Friday.”

To continue reading this article from Smart News at Smithsonian. com, click here.