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Google Doodle celebrates Canada’s coldest day, -63 ℃

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Re: Google Doodle celebrates Canada’s coldest day, -63 ℃

#23
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hahaha. Have you seen what engine oil looks like past -35C? Butter. Same color, same consistency. You can cut and spread it with a knife. Those geegaws aren't helping there. Also, there is a hell of a lot more in a vehicle that's sensitive to extreme cold than an engine.

Hohoho? I said less for a reason. Most people don't have to worry about -35C. Cars start reliably down to fairly low temperatures, so they don't need to worry about it.

>Most people don't have to worry about -35C.

We're replying in a thread about someone trying to use a vehicle at -40C...

>Cars start reliably down to fairly low temperatures

Start? As the parent comment states, that's the least of your problems.

Re: Google Doodle celebrates Canada’s coldest day, -63 ℃

#24
Balmy Canada.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oymyakon

Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk are the only two permanently inhabited places in the world that have recorded temperatures below −60.0 °C (−76 °F) for every day in January. Oymyakon has never recorded an above freezing temperature between October 25 and March 17.

Re: Google Doodle celebrates Canada’s coldest day, -63 ℃

#25
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hohoho? I said less for a reason. Most people don't have to worry about -35C. Cars start reliably down to fairly low temperatures, so they don't need to worry about it.

> Most people don't have to worry about -35C. We're replying in a thread about someone trying to use a vehicle at -40C... > Cars start reliably down to fairly low temperatures Start? As the parent comment states, that's the least of your problems.

I replied to a comment that mentioned <32 Fahrenheit.

Re: Google Doodle celebrates Canada’s coldest day, -63 ℃

#26

"thermometers don't use mercury" uhh... many of them do in fact use mercury..

Indeed, the article errs on that general statement. But it seems per Wikipedia that pure-mercury thermometers become unusable at -39C, when mercury solidifies. A mercury-thallium alloy can go to -61C, but apparently alcohol thermometers are preferred for measuring extreme cold, as they work to -70C. So the actual observed thermometers on that record day – those thermometers – likely did not use mercury.

Re: Google Doodle celebrates Canada’s coldest day, -63 ℃

#27
post #6

I've seen the wrong side of -40, when I was flying to work in Ft McMurray, Alberta for a consulting job. One time, I drew the short straw and had to go pick up our SUVs at the parking lot upon landing. They were outside, plugged in. The car started with the saddest sound I ever heard a mechanical thing make. I put it in reverse, hit the gas, and pulled out of the spot. Then I put it in drive and hit the gas- and the…

I'm from Yellowknife, about 1000mi north of Ft McMurray. More often than not, we hit -45C with a windchill of ~ -60c. The coldest it's ever been up here was -52c in 1947, if I'm not mistaken..

I'm from Regina, Saskatchewan and for the first time in my life, I can honestly say that our mere -45 windchills don't sound so bad. :)

Stay warm!!

Re: Google Doodle celebrates Canada’s coldest day, -63 ℃

#28

I've seen the wrong side of -40, when I was flying to work in Ft McMurray, Alberta for a consulting job. One time, I drew the short straw and had to go pick up our SUVs at the parking lot upon landing. They were outside, plugged in. The car started with the saddest sound I ever heard a mechanical thing make. I put it in reverse, hit the gas, and pulled out of the spot. Then I put it in drive and hit the gas- and the…

You need to warm a car for at least 15 minutes when it's that cold...

Re: Google Doodle celebrates Canada’s coldest day, -63 ℃

#30

Random crazy idea alert: This is actually close to the temperature to sublimate CO2. I'm curious why we couldn't lower the temperature a little more and pull carbon out of the air? Has anyone investigated that? Maybe I should buy some land there and start making dry ice and selling carbon offsets?

The partial pressure is too low: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/06/13/results-lab-experiment...

But you just need to lower the temperature another 20-40 degrees. It would still take some energy but since youre starting at such a low temp It would seem it would save a lot of energy.
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