The more sophisticated modern technology becomes, the more we believe we have tamed nature, and the more secure we feel in our modern cocoon. But nature has a terrible power that will never fully be subdued and can come roaring back at any time. And when it does, our technology, and the false sense of safety it gives us, can be very perilous.
Winter, with its sudden storms and precipitous drops in temperature, is one of those times where it’s easy to underestimate the power of nature. The onslaught of snow, hail, and ice can quickly undermine our assumptions and lay bare our vulnerability. It can be very costly, even deadly to underestimate the dangers that winter brings.
The technology we have come to rely on in our everyday lives can suddenly fail us when the mercury drops. Nowhere is this more evident perhaps than when we rely on electric vehicles. Consumer Reports tested four leading electric vehicles and found that their range was dramatically reduced in low temperatures:
“Cold weather saps about 25 percent of range when cruising at 70 mph compared with the same conditions in mild weather. In the past, we found that short trips in the cold with frequent stops and the need to reheat the cabin saps 50 percent of the range.
Unlike a gas car, where the heat is free, coming from the engine, an EV has to produce cabin heat and manage an optimal battery temperature with energy that comes from the battery, in turn reducing range.”
It’s not just electric cars that underperform in Winter, but cell phones too, and anything that relies on battery power. According to Wired magazine, “much of the tech that facilitates our connected modern lives itself loses functionality as temperatures drop below freezing.”
Smart phones in particular are prone to fail in cold weather because of their reliance on lithium-ion batteries:
“The colder it gets, the slower the metabolism of the chemical reaction inside the battery. The battery drains faster as a result…Carrying around a smartphone in any weather colder than –35 degrees F…will kill it completely in 5 minutes—right around the time frostbite would strike the hand holding it.
Such deficiencies are particularly pronounced in devices like smartphones, which are designed to sit mostly inactive for long periods of time throughout the day. Their batteries never draw enough current to heat themselves.”
Clearly some disaster planning is in order. The wise way to prepare for winter is to plan for failure and be ready for those moments. When hi-tech fails and the car battery won’t start, your cell phone is dead, and the heater isn’t working, it’s good to have a tried and true, reliable back up like HotHands hand warmers, HotHands heating pads, and HotHands body warmers.
An emergency stash of Hot Hands hand warmers in your glove compartment, backpack, purse, or jacket pocket can literally be a lifesaver. If you find yourself stranded in the cold unforgiving Winter, having a reliable source of warmth like HotHands body warmers with adhesive and HotHands lap warmers could be the difference in making sure you survive until help arrives.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac Winter Forecast for 2025, this coming Winter is one you’ll definitely want to prepare for: “Brace yourself for a Wet Winter Whirlwind! Farmer’s Almanac winter weather forecast calls for a season of rapid-fire storms that will bring both rain and snow, with little downtime in between.”
The famed publication’s prediction for the upcoming Winter season is enough to give one pause:
The end of January gets a red flag for much of the nation due to the potential of "a very active storm track" expected to bring strong and gusty winds, along with heavy precipitation – "copious amounts of snow, rain, sleet, and ice (depending on where you live) could fall," the Almanac says.
The winter chill is expected to "hang on" longer than usual in the North, Northeast and middle of the U.S. "So it looks like it's going to feel like a longer winter, even if it's a little warmer in certain areas that usually get snowier conditions," she said.
So be prepared and stock up on hand warmers in bulk that you can stowaway in all your vehicles, and give extra HotHands warmers to loved ones to keep handy. You never know when you’ll need them.