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Freezing point of liquids are a lot less affected by atmospheric pressure than are boiling points. Example: at sea level, water freezes at 32°F (0°C) and boils at 212°F (100°C). In Denver, water still freezes at 32°F (actually 32.00008, but you and I don't have anything to measure it that closely), but it boils at 195°F. If you bake anything, you notice high-elevation directions on the packages. The modifications are an attempt to compensate for the lowering boiling point.
The Martian atmosphere is sufficiently thin that liquid water cannot exist. Water ice vaporizes without melting when heated, similar to what dry ice (frozen CO2) does on Earth. If the Martian atmosphere were about 5 times thicker, liquid water could exist but only for a small temperature range.
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