Bitter Cold

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Emergency Department; Neonatal ICU.

So, we get our fair share of cold temperatures where I live but tomorrow the high is supposed to be -2 with wind chills at -30 or something like that. I work tomorrow and my car will sit on an open lot for 12+ hours. I'm not used to such extreme cold - pardon my ignorance but should I be worried about my car starting at the end of my shift? Any tips from people who live in the northern US/Canada? We keep our cars well maintained and my car is a 2011. And the foot of snow falling today will probably keep a lot of people away so they will all come tomorrow - in addition to our normal crazy Monday volume (sigh)...

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It is a concern!

I would go and start your car/remote start at least once in the middle of the shift and let it run for a while. Keeps the engine warm and the gas warm so it starts later. That is what I do.

A lot of new vehicles are sold with cheap batteries so the battery may crap out in this awful weather. Don't be surprised if this happens to you even though your car is new. Plan a backup way to/ from work or someone who can come and jump you.

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Specializes in Emergency Department; Neonatal ICU.

Thank you for your response :). I was thinking that I might go start it in the middle of the shift. Just wish I had a remote starter.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I routinely park my car in an outside lot at this kind of temp without doing anything special, but yours may not be built for it. Can you plug you car in? It helps! Agree that you should go out and start it, make sure you dress up warm and have an emergency kit/ equipment to de-snow your car. Good luck!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Thank you for your response :). I was thinking that I might go start it in the middle of the shift. Just wish I had a remote starter.
try to park in a spot that doesn't face the blowing wind. Go out and start you car about every four hours and let it get warm. We park together and take turns starting everyone's cars and letting them warm. Don't blow the heater fan as that draws the heat from the engine. Too late now but when I winterize my car I put a lighter weight oil (like 5W30) in it with the oil change. Make sure your car has essentials like a scraper, a can of windshield deicer, water, heavy jacket, boots, gloves a scarf to cover your face/mouth, shovel, a blanket and granola bars just in case

AND DON'T FORGET A FULL TANK OF GAS! with a bottle of gas line anti freeze like HEET...sold at the gas station

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Specializes in Emergency Department; Neonatal ICU.

What great info, thank you. I didn't know about the HEET. And parking so that the car doesn't face the wind is common sense but not something my muddled tired mind might have thought of at 630am :).

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Specializes in ICU.

-2 F should be no problem for a 2011. Point the car so the wind does not hit the engine directly. Take a look at the battery (yes, you'll have to open the hood), if the terminals have lots of gunk on them, then clean them today (or have someone else do it). Then you'll have clean connections for the electricity. Alternatively, you can buy battery jumper boxes for $30. Keep one of those in your trunk next to your snow shovel (there's one in there, right?). +1 on the bottle of HEET (gas line de-icer). 0.79 cents. Just do it. I have the day off, so I'm putting an ad up on Craigslist for jump starts. Put some extra coin in my pocket. +:^]

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
What great info, thank you. I didn't know about the HEET. And parking so that the car doesn't face the wind is common sense but not something my muddled tired mind might have thought of at 630am :).
Been there done that.....lived in the Windy City for a long time and those negative windchill's are brutal!
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Specializes in ICU.

Some time ago, I was WAY up in northern Wisconsin cross-country skiing and my car wouldn't start at -10F. I walked a mile to a snowmobile shop, paid $$ for a bottle of gas line de-icer, walked back and VROOOM! Expensive lesson learned!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

When I worked in Wisconsin, we'd organize our shifts to take a half hour break to go outside and start our cars. We'd go outside with another nurse for safety. Since there were only two RNs on our unit at a time, we'd make arrangements with nurses from other units close to us to go outside and start our cars together. We'd walk out to the closest car, start it, and then drive it to the other car and start that one so we were close together. Then we'd drive both cars as close to the building as possible and sit there and chat in our running cars. I made some good friends that way! (Married one of them, actually.)

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Specializes in OR.

O.M.G. I live in south Florida and its currently 80 degrees outside. I cannot even imagine what I would do if the temp was below 0. I am so sorry!!

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Specializes in Emergency Department; Neonatal ICU.

PureLife, one of my colleagues posted on Facebook a picture of her and her family on the beach today. She (and you) are lucky :)

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