The current weather front in the northern part of the U.S. may have many residents signing up for a mission to Mars.

The high temperature on the red planet on Thursday was 17.6 degrees, warmer than the high temperatures in 14 northern U.S. states.

Residents of northern states have been fighting bitter cold and wind chills that have caused major outbreaks of frostbite.  Hospitals have been reporting people coming in for treatment who didn’t realize how bad the bitter cold would impact their bodies.

Winter Storm Gorgon is moving off the U.S. east coast this weekend and warmer temperatures are expected to cover the northern states.  However, the resulting front could bring massive amounts of snow to the Great Lakes  region with some models showing up to three feet of snow in some areas.

Wind chill readings of below zero were reported as far south as Alabama, Mississippi and North Carolina.

Many school districts around the nation cancelled their classes Thursday because of the dangerous cold.  Detroit reported a high of 3 degrees.  Green Bay, Wisconsin, where the Packers are to play a playoff football game this weekend, had a high of 6 degrees.  International Falls, historically one of the coldest spots in the continental U.S., reached a high of -1.