Here's a thought train for
Here's a thought train for all of you cold car experts: Try just starting you car and driving off after 2 minutes of warm up when the temperature is -10. (In fact, this morning, right now in Vermont it is -20*F, and yes , this is relatively normal for this time of year. Stop being a pansy and calling it "extreme"). Add snowing weather that and the fact that when you parked the car (outside!) it was warm, which meant melting snow onto the windshield, which then results in....and ice covered windshield. So, brush off the car, start the engine, then scrape off the windshield and go!! WRONG!!! Your windshield will still be frozen over on the inside! Add to that your own body heat the breath, and you then have zero visibility. PLUS the distraction you have of your body trying to fend off the cold.... You're going to have a bad time.... Here's what you actually should do: Go out, brush off the drivers door, start the car. Go back inside. 5 minutes later go out and brush off the rest of the car and scrape the windshield. Turn on the heater onto feet and defrost. Go back inside. 10 minutes later, your car is now safe to drive (in theory, in reality it may take longer depending on the vehicle and age).