Maybe you were there at the wrong time.

- A report from meteorologists at the United States' McMurdo Research Station of an unprecedented summer heat wave in early January, including first-ever temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/02/07/antarctic.iceberg/?related

Note, first ever recorded above 50 F at McMurdo Research Station does not mean it has never happened before, or since. you'd have to look it up. 50 degrees is common. I don't know where I got the original figure from, I searched average summer temperature in antarctica and up that came. You can do your own search and find some other pages I'm sure.

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As an aside, if the warmth was from the ground, the winter temperatures would be much warmer than is experienced (-50 F on average at McMurdo on Ross Island). The relatively warm temperatures experienced in the summer are from the sun being in the sky 24 hours a day.


an aside to your aside... the ground is covered in snow and so it will feel colder than it actually is. The air could be quite warm and yet because you are standing on the snow pack it feels quite chilly. Rather doubtful the earth's heat ever makes it to surface in antarctica in any measuarbale way, the snow is a pretty good insulator.

What i love about spring skiing. The cold snow, the warm air... I ski on frozen ground when the air temps in the valley a short distance below are 50-60 degrees sometimes. The snow itself makes the air on the slopes at the top chillier. that's how the refrigerator was invented afterall. Put some ice in there and voila, the air gets cold. pretty basic stuff. you can argue about it if you'd like, I think I will leave you to argue with yourself though.

all anyone has to do is search the web for 50 degree weather in antarctica anyway, hardly a mystery that it happens. Heat waves in antarctica.