Canada colder than North Pole, Mars with temperatures plunging to -37.9 C

As the northeast US, including New York City, prepared for heavy snow and frigid temperatures, Canada recorded temperatures colder than Mars, it has been revealed.

According to the National Weather Service, snow began falling overnight in parts of New England and New York, but the real force of the storm was expected later on Thursday and into Friday. Temperatures were expected to drop well below freezing point.

Hugh Johnson, a weather service meteorologist said that there will be travel problems due to the adverse climatic conditions.

About 1000 US flights were cancelled on Thursday, with Chicago's O'Hare and New Jersey's Newark Liberty International airports being the most adversely affected.

Up to 14 inches of snow has been forecasted for the Boston area, and the National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for Long Island outside New York City, where up to 10 inches of snow was expected.

The storm may be the very first test of New York City's new mayor, Bill de Blasio, who was sworn in on Wednesday. The city, expected to get up to 7 inches snow, issued a snow alert.

Meanwhile in Canada, Winnipeg had its coldest day in 80 years with temperatures plunging to -37.9 C. With the wind chill factor, the temperature felt like -48 C.

"According to the Curiosity Rover, Mars reached a maximum air temperature of -29 degree celsius today. Winnipeg's high was -31 degree celsius," the Manitoba Museum tweeted.

According to News.com.au, the North Pole was also 10 degrees warmer than Winnipeg.

The storm dropped a half-foot or more of snow in Illinois on Wednesday, prompting hundreds of flight cancellations into and out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to the aviation tracking website FlightAware.com.