caretaker

It's currently -29 in Regina, but it's supposed to warm up after today. I just did the big struggle stringing a cord out from behind the house around the side and under the gate and down the walk to plug in old reliable. Will it go at 8:30 is the question of the hour... I'm supposed to meet the plumber at work at 9 and if it won't start I'll have to walk or phone and ask him to pick me up. From the look of the windshield I'll have to factor in about 10 minutes of scraping.

spouse of scouse

I know I'm a sticky beak, but what is 'old reliable'? Something to de-ice your car?

I actually can't imagine what -29 feels like

caretaker

Old Reliable is my 18 year-old Ford minivan. Without the block heater plugged in it might not go today. When it's really cold you can throw a pail of hot water into the air and it freezes into ice pellets before it hits the ground. Not quite sure if it's cold enough for that right now.
Probably not - it's up to -26 already and the windchill gone from -38 to -33 and there are no warnings on the weather page. When windchill is under -40 they give frostbite warnings saying exposed skin freezes in minutes. It's like the test dive scene in Das Boot, "Of course, we can go deeper."

BristolUK

When I went to Leningrad/Moscow back in January 89 I remembered the news reports about cranes in the shipyards getting frozen up and I was looking forward to experiencing that cold.

But with the hat and overcoat I bought for the trip I didn't really feel it except for wind coming in off the coast of Finland. I was colder in Cologne for Christas markets, although I wasn't so well dressed for that.

It's similar here. You dress for the temperatures and mostly you don't feel it so much because you aren't out in it so much. Having said that, you can feel your nostril hair freezing up and your cheeks and ears can get painfully sore if not covered.

Of course I can say that from the comfort of not "having" to be out in it other than, say, the wait for a taxi to take me home.

scrubbedexpat091

When I went to Barrow, Alaska (now known as Utqiaġvik) back in 2000, throwing water into the air was the first thing I did to see if it would really freeze before hitting the ground. It did, I was impressed. I had never experienced that level of cold in my life and still haven't, Edmonton came close but missed it by a few degrees.) it was a shock but interesting trip, not fun paying $5 for a can of coke though, and average meal was $25 and this was almost 21 years ago, luckily we were only staying 2 days.

Pretty sure Charlee (dog) would never step foot outside in -29, she wont even go for a walk when it's 0 outside.

Paul_Shepherd

I managed to get mild frostbite last year in my finger and thumb, they were numb for two weeks then it peeled like sunburn. I am usually pretty careful , but I was messing around trying to hook my trailer up, it doesn't take long with no gloves on.... Ill certainly be more careful this year, I have bought some of those gel pack hand warmers for moments like that again.

caretaker

I have nerve damage in my hand that causes my forefinger and thumb (actually middle finger too) to go numb when they get cold. At first I had a hard time believing it wasn't circulation, but my bil has the same problem. I met a man in a restaurant in Montreal whose fingers on one hand were black from frostbite. He had been working on the DEW line up north and inadvertently stuck his hand in a barrel of diesel when it was some insanely low temperature. He was waiting to find out if he would keep his fingers, or to what degree. He saw me eating alone and asked me to join him and we drank double Crown Royals round for round. That was the restaurant where I discovered oysters on pizza!

scrubbedexpat091

Snowing a bit.

The Coquihalla doesn't look too nice of a drive today. Top screen shot from the summit area and bottom screen shot southbound at Zopkios.

Danny B

God damn. My Golf diesel would hate starting in that temperature.

caretaker

Everybody needs a block heater. I know the next time it gets really cold I may have to take the battery out and bring it in for a nice charge, clean terminals etc because I haven't had it on the highway much at all this year. When it's -25 to -30 I like to plug it in for a few hours, and it usually spins right over. When it's -40 it might not go.

scrubbedexpat091

The one winter I spent in Edmonton I forgot to plug the car in so many times at work, luckily it always started up, but there were some mornings where it did struggle to.

Our current car doesn't have one, not sure if block heaters are standard on new cars sold in the lower mainland since they are not needed there, but we bought our car used.

Danny B

Yeah I have the plug in, but this car is new to me and last winter was pretty mild so never bothered plugging her in. Hopefully this year it's the same, anything below -10c can 'bleep' off as far as I am concerned.

Teaandtoday5

my son texted yesterday to say it’s’-46C, and not a warm -46 either’

Oink

I think I need one for her HID, she's been a bit frosty in the physically caring department lately. She's hinting that a nice Hermes scarf for Christmas might thaw the branches somewhat?

scrubbedexpat091

Snow didnt really stick. Guess it was not warm enough to turn it to rain but too warm to stick at least in the small area I walked around in the hood.