How is the weather on Mars?

Like Earth, Mars has seasons. This is because the planets are tilted at similar angles. Different parts of the planet learn towards the Sun at different times during the year, making it warmer or cooler. Mars is an extremely cold planet with an average temperature around minus-80 degrees. Temperatures can dip to minus-225 degrees around the poles. Periods of warmth are brief — highs can reach 70 degrees for a brief time around Noon at the equator in the summer.

There’s no need to worry about rain on Mars — it hasn’t occurred for millions of years. With only trace amounts of water vapor, the planet is a dry and desolate place. Clouds do form, but they are very high in the sky and at the surface, where haze and fog forms as a result of the very steep lapse rates near the ground. Snow, on the other hand, is possible in the very high latitudes, though it’s nothing like the snow here on Earth.

With a very hot equator area and extremely cold poles, there are huge variations in temperature across the planet, which end up driving high wind speeds. Low pressure systems can form and polar fronts develop at the southern end of the polar ice cap, especially at times of seasonal changes.

Sometimes, these winds can lift very fine dust particles to create massive dust storms that envelop much of the planet. Heated dust particles can rise to over 20 miles above the surface. Wind velocities can reach 60 miles per hour or more in these storms.

 

Picture Credit : Google