Snow.

[Dormouse]

I've broken a windscreen doing the opposite... for a while my eldest would only sleep during the day if he was taken out in the car. In the winter of 2010 when it was really cold, he was asleep in the car (Xsara Picasso) so we left it running to keep warm, we then went out in it, and it was about -10. Washed the windscreen, big bang and it cracked from side to side right across the middle - this was a replacement screen and it had picked up the tiniest chip right in the centre when only a few days old (like the size of child's little finger nail cutting!) - this was the stress raiser that started the crack.

I had to switch off the heater in a Fiesta being delivered to Kinross Auction for that kind of reason. The demister was on full and a small chip started to grow as I drove it down the motorway in frosty weather. Switching the heat off stopped the crack growing but it was too late by then, the chip just started the crack due to the temperature difference between inside and out. Screwed up the resale value of that Fiesta!

[CitroJim]

Saw this. Tell Citro Jim to watch the last bit of the clip.

Yep, that could almost have been me! Both as a little boy on the sledge in 1963 and then much more recently

I use a bit of proper de-icer in a trigger bottle and then wait for the heater to do the rest... I'll assist by scraping if need be...

I'm never in a hurry so wait until all is 100% clear before driving off...

The amount of de-icer I use in a year is minimal as I only drive on a frosty day if absolutely essential...

[Hell Razor5543]

I've broken a windscreen doing the opposite... for a while my eldest would only sleep during the day if he was taken out in the car. In the winter of 2010 when it was really cold, he was asleep in the car (Xsara Picasso) so we left it running to keep warm, we then went out in it, and it was about -10. Washed the windscreen, big bang and it cracked from side to side right across the middle - this was a replacement screen and it had picked up the tiniest chip right in the centre when only a few days old (like the size of child's little finger nail cutting!) - this was the stress raiser that started the crack.

I had to switch off the heater in a Fiesta being delivered to Kinross Auction for that kind of reason. The demister was on full and a small chip started to grow as I drove it down the motorway in frosty weather. Switching the heat off stopped the crack growing but it was too late by then, the chip just started the crack due to the temperature difference between inside and out. Screwed up the resale value of that Fiesta!

I have just seen a trick on Instagram for de-icing a windscreen. Put fairly warm tap water into a freezer bag, seal it up, and then wipe it across the windscreen. This thaws out the ice without adding water (which would re-freeze given half a chance), and did not heat up the windscreen too quickly for it to handle.

[Michel]

Saw this. Tell Citro Jim to watch the last bit of the clip.

Yep, that could almost have been me! Both as a little boy on the sledge in 1963 and then much more recently

I use a bit of proper de-icer in a trigger bottle and then wait for the heater to do the rest... I'll assist by scraping if need be...

The issue I have with this is the total waste of fuel by leaving the car ticking over, the extra pollution, and the fact it does the engine no good at all just sat, idling richly. It takes *ages* for the C3 Pic petrol to warm up if it's just sat idling. There's heat coming out of the vents within 1/2 mile driving from cold. I never let my vehicles idle like that.

[Michel]

My preferred option would be to move to a country where I don't need to de-ice the car, but June 2016 f@cked that idea up..

[Dormouse]

I've broken a windscreen doing the opposite... for a while my eldest would only sleep during the day if he was taken out in the car. In the winter of 2010 when it was really cold, he was asleep in the car (Xsara Picasso) so we left it running to keep warm, we then went out in it, and it was about -10. Washed the windscreen, big bang and it cracked from side to side right across the middle - this was a replacement screen and it had picked up the tiniest chip right in the centre when only a few days old (like the size of child's little finger nail cutting!) - this was the stress raiser that started the crack.

I had to switch off the heater in a Fiesta being delivered to Kinross Auction for that kind of reason. The demister was on full and a small chip started to grow as I drove it down the motorway in frosty weather. Switching the heat off stopped the crack growing but it was too late by then, the chip just started the crack due to the temperature difference between inside and out. Screwed up the resale value of that Fiesta!

I have just seen a trick on Instagram for de-icing a windscreen. Put fairly warm tap water into a freezer bag, seal it up, and then wipe it across the windscreen. This thaws out the ice without adding water (which would re-freeze given half a chance), and did not heat up the windscreen too quickly for it to handle.

An uncle of mine used to fill two hot water bottles and take them to the car. He put one on the driver's seat and the other on the dash in front of the steering wheel. When he drove off he put the second hot water bottle on the nearside dash having carefully placed both just over the edge of the demister vents so he could blow warm air onto the screen. Not only did it start to defrost the screen but he had a warm bum to boot.

[CitroJim]

Saw this. Tell Citro Jim to watch the last bit of the clip.

Yep, that could almost have been me! Both as a little boy on the sledge in 1963 and then much more recently

I use a bit of proper de-icer in a trigger bottle and then wait for the heater to do the rest... I'll assist by scraping if need be...

The issue I have with this is the total waste of fuel by leaving the car ticking over, the extra pollution, and the fact it does the engine no good at all just sat, idling richly. It takes *ages* for the C3 Pic petrol to warm up if it's just sat idling. There's heat coming out of the vents within 1/2 mile driving from cold. I never let my vehicles idle like that.

For the very few times in a year I need to do this Mike, it's not such a problem. If it was on a regular basis I'd look at alternatives and I agree done too often it's neither good for the planet nor the engine...

Surprised the Pic takes so long... My Saxo warms up very quickly and defrosts rapidly... I know just how quickly by both watching on the ELIT just how quickly the injection switches to closed-loop and how quickly I can push the choke home on the AX... Idling for perhaps 5 minutes to defrost but not richly for very long... That's only my finding with my own cars and appreciate not all may warm so quickly... I know my Xantias used to take an age...

An uncle of mine used to fill two hot water bottles and take them to the car. He put one on the driver's seat and the other on the dash in front of the steering wheel. When he drove off he put the second hot water bottle on the nearside dash having carefully placed both just over the edge of the demister vents so he could blow warm air onto the screen. Not only did it start to defrost the screen but he had a warm bum to boot.

That's a good plan I like that...

[myglaren]

[myglaren]

[myglaren]

[Ross_K]

I know this is just some clown doing this for the clicks, but check out how the boiling water destroyed the door handle too (by causing the door skin to expand, I guess)

[Dormouse]

When we stayed up in Aberdeenshire the Red Squirrels we fed in the winter used to batter on our patio doors if there wasn't any food left in the feeders. Gospel!
When they were at the feeders they would not scurry off if we went outside near them. The nearest I got was 3 ft before they jumped back into the trees at the back of our house. They returned as soon as you moved away.

[myglaren]

Somewhere I have a photo I took while on the veranda of a lakeside cafe in Sweden with a squirrel eating at our table.

[Dormouse]

It is subtropical in the sun just now.

But if you look in this photo the frost is still there!

I had to break the frozen crust to get to the salt

Our weather station is on the pole holding the Xmas Star Lights and is in full sunlight.
The decking is 8ft below it in the permanent shade and has been white for DAYS! The water in the planter trays is absolutely frozen solid and shows no sign of changing.

This salt has been on this step for nearly two days. This step only gets sunlight up to the wet line forward of the salt due to shadows. I would say it is still very cold despite what the weather station is trying to say.

[myglaren]

A balmy 3.1° here and white over. Been snowing gently on and off all morning.