52bagman: When I was living in the dorm at Eielson AFB and had just came to Alaska, I learned a few things. From the third floor window we could throw a bucket of cold water out the window at 50 below, and it turned to sharp icycles before hitting the ground. Throw a bucket of hot water out the window at 50 below, and it would turn to ice fog and float away.
When it is that cold cross railroad tracks real slow. I've seen the side walls so hard that the bead pops off the wheel, and then the tire works it's way off the wheel. Or your springs break when hitting railroad tracks or pot holes. If your vehicle has been outside over night, when you start it and start down the road, all 4 tires have flat spots on them. Go slow till they round out, usually about a mile to a mile and a half. If not again you will pop the bead off the wheel and the tire will work it's way off the wheel. You don't want to be out there changing a wheel at 50 to 65 below. Again if the vehicle has be3en outside over night, and has a small amount of snow on it, don't start it and let it run for a long time. The snow will melt and run down the tires. Once on the tires it will refreeze, freezing the tires to the ground. If this happens place your vehicle in gear and slowly rock it back and forth till the tires break free. I've seen a guy with a big truck go out and put the truck in low range. He then floored the throttle. He ripped the bottom of all four tires right off. At those low temps the air dries out and static electricity is horriable. You open the door to your vehicle and get out, then you realize you have to close the door. You know when you touch the door it is going to knock the XXXX out of you. You use your foot to shove the door to. It does not close completely, and the light is still on. Well suck it up and touch the door. Your hand will only hurt for a few minutes, women will have to go to the ladies room when they go inside. The roads are not slick, they are down right sticky. Then after a few days it warms up and the whole world changes.
The roads get slicker than most people can imagine. You are driving a pickup truck with rear wheel drive. You come up to an intersection and you apply your brakes. The truck keeps going and won't stop. You have an automatic transmission, what do you do. With your front wheel locked you can not steer either. The back of the vehicle in front of you is coming up fast, what do you do. standing on the brakes is doing no good. Simple, being cold the engine is running faster than a normal idle, and is over riding the front brakes, and turning the rear wheels. Slip the gear shifter into neutral, and you will stop. That stops the power from going to the rear wheels. One reason I prefer standard transmissions.
You have a diesel vehicle. You fuel it up in August, then go on vacation. The truck sits for a few weeks, till you come back. While you nwere gone they changed the fuel from #2 to #1. You start driving your truck to work, then over night the temps drop to 10 of 15 below. The truck won't start. You stick a siphon hose into the fuel tank and try sucking fuel out of the tank. You can't get anything to move up the hose. The fuel has jelled. You have to have the truck drug into a shop or garage where it is warm. Once warmed drain all the fuel out of the vehicle, and injection system. Replace with #1 fuel then everything is OK. If you have an automatic transmission, some of them will not come out of park. Trying to get them up on a wrecker without the tires turning can ruin the tires. Another good reason to have a standard.
Don't stick your tongue to any thing metal. I see this done every year by new people up here. Grown men and women, with their tongues stuck to flag poles. A few years ago I had the lock to the horse trailer freeze. I was going to breath on it to thaw it enough to get the key in. As I leaned close my foot slipped and my moist lips touched the door handle. I left my lips on the handle, ouch. You would not believe how many toddlers I have removed the storm door window with kid attached. Taken them inside to thaw so tongues could be removed.
If you go into the bush during the winter, men and women quickly learn the advantage to the old Union Suite.
