Happy Frigid New Year!

If you're not lucky enough to be a hearty Canadian who can withstand temps well below zero, then fall on your knees in gratitude that you weren't in Winnipeg to celebrate New Year's Eve. As reported in the Huffington Post, according to the Manitoba Museum's Twitter feed, Winnipeg was actually colder than Mars on Tuesday. That's right: the provincial capital, which, unlike Mars, is actually inhabited by humans, was colder than the planet that doesn't contain human life. Mars's high was -20.2 degrees Fahrenheit whereas Winnipeg was -23.8. With a windchill factor, it actually felt closer to -50 degrees. Such temperatures are, according to the CBC, cold enough to freeze exposed skin in a matter of minutes. But believe it or not, New Year's Eve did not set a record. Winnipeg had its coldest recorded December in 1879 and its coldest December 31st in 1967 when it was -36.04 degrees.

The CBC is providing a more nuanced analysis of the temperatures on Mars and in Winnipeg and also features some funny Twitter cracks about the two locales.

http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2014/01/canada-as-cold-as-mars-not-quite-eh.html

Stay warm and indoors!