Cornell put out an amusing news release two weeks ago, pointing out that the Northeast has been colder than Mars lately.

ITHACA, N.Y. — During the most recent early afternoon on Mars, the temperature at the rover Spirit landing site in Gusev crater was an admittedly chilly minus 11 degrees Celsius (12 degrees Fahrenheit). But it was still warmer than most cities in the upper Northeast, gripped in a frigid winter chill.

If you can’t tell, I’m going back and reading through some Mars blogs and news stories from the beginning of the month.