Winter 2022 finally arriving? (photos, good, time)

[riceme]

It amazes me that there are still people in Fairbanks who argue that you don't need a block heater. My block heater died in the middle of last winter and I figured it out during a cold snap. You should have heard my pickup when I started it, ugh!! But hey I guess you don't need one if you don't care about taking good care of your vehicle!

[Northrick]

One time I had to cold start my diesel pickup at -20F (no where to plug in). It started, but boy, did it sound gawdawful for about 15 minutes. I can't imagine cold starting even a gas engine at -40F.

[dcfas]

Have you folks ever read Jack London’s short story, To Build a Fire?

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Northrick

One time I had to cold start my diesel pickup at -20F (no where to plug in). It started, but boy, did it sound gawdawful for about 15 minutes. I can't imagine cold starting even a gas engine at -40F.

You were lucky that your truck started at -20. Diesel engines don't like to stay cold for long periods of time (overnight for example) unless you plug it for a few hours. But they still make a racket for a few minutes on cold starts.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Northrick

One time I had to cold start my diesel pickup at -20F (no where to plug in). It started, but boy, did it sound gawdawful for about 15 minutes. I can't imagine cold starting even a gas engine at -40F.

It made terrible sounds and I cringed with my whole body. It sounded like I'd poured a sack of marbles into it instead of motor oil.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by riceme

It made terrible sounds and I cringed with my whole body. It sounded like I'd poured a sack of marbles into it instead of motor oil.

Even my 2001 Silverado 325 gasoline engine makes a racket for a few seconds on cold starts, then it quiets down and stays that way.

[Northrick]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

You were lucky that your truck started at -20. Diesel engines don't like to stay cold for long periods of time (overnight for example) unless you plug it for a few hours. But they still make a racket for a few minutes on cold starts.

This was in Cantwell in March and it had been parked for 4 days. We snowmachined into a remote lodge on the Denali Highway for a few days. I was riding my mountain sled that has no windshield. It was -30F when we started on the 55 mile trip back to Cantwell. Man, that was a chilly ride!


I had a Honda generator in the truck that I could have started and plugged into but the thought of standing around for an hour or two waiting for the truck engine to warm was not appealing. So, I just gave it a try on starting. A sack of marbles bouncing around in the engine is a good description of the sound.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Northrick

This was in Cantwell in March and it had been parked for 4 days. We snowmachined into a remote lodge on the Denali Highway for a few days. I was riding my mountain sled that has no windshield. It was -30F when we started on the 55 mile trip back to Cantwell. Man, that was a chilly ride!


I had a Honda generator in the truck that I could have started and plugged into but the thought of standing around for an hour or two waiting for the truck engine to warm was not appealing. So, I just gave it a try on starting. A sack of marbles bouncing around in the engine is a good description of the sound.

The Honda generators are quite handy during emergencies, since you can use the DC output to charge the battery, or just use a 115 AC charger/jump starter. A friend of mine has a small and powerful AC-powered portable charger/jump starter that can charge 6-12 volt batteries, or can jump start a vehicle at 50 amps.

Now, keep in mind that running the generator in the cold can damage it. Mine has a electric heater inline with the intake filter and air. It is powered by the generator itself, as the leads are connected to one of the generators 115-volt outlets. But all you have to do is to build a lightweight metallic box to cover the generator with. The box does not have a floor, but needs a hole for the exhaust. As the generator runs it warms the air inside the box, so the hole for the exhaust should be wide enough to allow plenty of cold air to zip in. Also, don't place the generator on deep snow to avoid melting the snow when the generator warms the air inside the box. I unplug the electric heater in my generator during the summer.

By the way, while the temperatures are a little warmer this week, there is a weather advisory for very cold wind chill in the Tanana Valley:

ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Northeast winds of 15 mph are blowing in
valleys, with winds chills 40 below to 50 below. Over hilltops
such as Cleary Summit, northeast winds are gusting 30 mph
causing drifting snow and winds chills 40 to 50 below.
Temperatures and wind chills will drop slowly through Saturday
and remain very cold through Sunday.

https://forecast.weather.gov/showsig...5#.Y6ZVUi-B1p8
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That said, to all of us enjoy Christmas!!!

[RayinAK]

I am glad that the forecast above was wrong. While it is quite windy, and probably the windchill is bad enough, the temperatures have remained from -12 to -20 (maybe colder in some areas).

[ejisme]

We came up as Aurora tourists 17 - 24 Dec. Had a great visit. The cold weather was pretty intense, but made for clear viewing. We both enjoyed the visit. Most everyone we met was nice, and most people were pretty chatty once we said we were visiting, and offered ways to spend the day, and places to view the night. Thanks Fairbanks.