How I Grew Up in the Coldest Town on Earth
November 11, 2021 7:59 AM Subscribe
Fascinating. The bit about car owners having to keep their engine running for months at a time to keep it from freezing is alarming though, but I guess there are probably so few cars that it doesn't make much of an environmental impact (though I can't imagine how much it must cost to run them like that).
Certainly puts bitching about a cold day of 4 or 5C in perspective.
posted by fight or flight at 8:24 AM on November 11, 2021
Certainly puts bitching about a cold day of 4 or 5C in perspective.
posted by fight or flight at 8:24 AM on November 11, 2021
The people in Yakutia also apparently drink fairly heavily. During the pandemic, a commonly held belief that drinking would fend off the coronavirus caused things to get bad enough that domestic violence was spiking. The governor temporarily prohibited alcohol, so some people resorted to drinking diluted hand sanitizer. Seven people died.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:31 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:31 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
With a population of about 300k the energy expenditure to maintain livability must be enormous.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 8:33 AM on November 11, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 8:33 AM on November 11, 2021 [3 favorites]
From looking around on Google, it appears that the biggest energy expenditure in the region isn't supporting the human population, but running the vast gold, diamond and other precious metal mines that operate in the region. Those take up almost three times the amount of power consumption required to support liveability.
Most of it seems to run on diesel fuel, which is obviously increasing both in price and scarcity, which might mean people won't be able to afford to live out there any more (or will die in greater numbers when the power fails). Climate change is going to screw this region hard in so many ways.
posted by fight or flight at 8:44 AM on November 11, 2021 [5 favorites]
Most of it seems to run on diesel fuel, which is obviously increasing both in price and scarcity, which might mean people won't be able to afford to live out there any more (or will die in greater numbers when the power fails). Climate change is going to screw this region hard in so many ways.
posted by fight or flight at 8:44 AM on November 11, 2021 [5 favorites]
Russia is testing nuclear residential heating in their remote Arctic towns.
posted by credulous at 8:54 AM on November 11, 2021
posted by credulous at 8:54 AM on November 11, 2021
The bit about car owners having to keep their engine running for months at a time to keep it from freezing is alarming though
When I was a kid, in rural Alberta, it was fairly normal for people with diesel trucks to leave them running all night in the winter as otherwise they may not start the next day. We didn't have giant tea cozies for our cars, though, but now I really want one.
posted by selenized at 9:15 AM on November 11, 2021 [4 favorites]
When I was a kid, in rural Alberta, it was fairly normal for people with diesel trucks to leave them running all night in the winter as otherwise they may not start the next day. We didn't have giant tea cozies for our cars, though, but now I really want one.
posted by selenized at 9:15 AM on November 11, 2021 [4 favorites]
I think my body temperature dropped 2 degrees just watching that video. Fascinating place, I wouldn't mind visiting in the summer but I'd hate to live there year-round.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:42 AM on November 11, 2021
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:42 AM on November 11, 2021
When I was a kid, in rural Alberta, it was fairly normal for people with diesel trucks to leave them running all night in the winter as otherwise they may not start the next day
Sorry if this is ignorant but what’s wrong with an electric block heater? Do they not work below a certain temperature?
posted by saturday_morning at 10:08 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
Sorry if this is ignorant but what’s wrong with an electric block heater? Do they not work below a certain temperature?
posted by saturday_morning at 10:08 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
During a wintry visit to my spouse's hometown in Montana, got to witness diesel locomotives running all day for the same reason. They day-parked in her town, where there was a siding, and at night hauled supplies off to do track repair (which must also be vivid in sub-zero weather).
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 10:15 AM on November 11, 2021
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 10:15 AM on November 11, 2021
Sorry if this is ignorant but what’s wrong with an electric block heater? Do they not work below a certain temperature?
To an extent, yes. Diesels use compression to heat and ignite the fuel; the colder the engine gets the harder it is to get the temps required for combustion. Block heaters and glow plugs (basically a space heater internal to the cylinder) can help to an extent but you’re fighting a losing battle with physics when temps are that cold. Also separately is that diesel fuel starts to gel at around 10-15F and can get thick/waxy enough where it clogs the fuel filter. Keeping a viscous fuel moving through a running engine is easier than from a dead start at -40.
posted by nathan_teske at 10:58 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
To an extent, yes. Diesels use compression to heat and ignite the fuel; the colder the engine gets the harder it is to get the temps required for combustion. Block heaters and glow plugs (basically a space heater internal to the cylinder) can help to an extent but you’re fighting a losing battle with physics when temps are that cold. Also separately is that diesel fuel starts to gel at around 10-15F and can get thick/waxy enough where it clogs the fuel filter. Keeping a viscous fuel moving through a running engine is easier than from a dead start at -40.
posted by nathan_teske at 10:58 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
I wonder how long the icicle from my constantly running nose would be in such a place. I do not want to find out, given that I was grumbling to the dog yesterday about how cold it was at 47F (8C).
posted by maxwelton at 11:01 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by maxwelton at 11:01 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
On this topic, I highly recommend the Life in Yakutia youtube channel. The production value is a bit lower but I think the content is a bit better.
posted by tclark at 11:01 AM on November 11, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by tclark at 11:01 AM on November 11, 2021 [3 favorites]
Diesel locomotives do not use antifreeze. If they are shut off in cold weather their cooling systems must be drained. Some have an auxiliary power unit (APU) to keep things liquid.
posted by leaper at 11:33 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by leaper at 11:33 AM on November 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
On average, the temperature on Mars is about minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
posted by Splunge at 1:21 PM on November 11, 2021
posted by Splunge at 1:21 PM on November 11, 2021
Sorry if this is ignorant but what’s wrong with an electric block heater? Do they not work below a certain temperature?
I was once on a trip in Alaska past the Arctic Circle in a caravan of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans. Each of these were diesel, and each had several auxiliary heating systems designed to keep the cabins warm as well as warm up the engines after they had been sitting overnight, past what you would normally get from glo plugs and block heaters.
The first night there, both systems failed to keep pace with the conditions (it was January, and temps were around -57 C). We lost one of our vans after it simply refused to approach a start condition, and had to have it towed to a garage where it saw for several days thawing out before it would.
From that point on, we kept the vehicles running 24/7, which proved problematic when we arrived at Coldfoot and found that their diesel tanks were empty. As we waited for their tanker supply truck to arrive, one by one, the vans in our convoy idled out and stalled, leaving just one running on fumes. We were lucky it was only a few hours before we could get diesel into them again, and even luckier that they fired up again that night.
posted by jordantwodelta at 3:15 PM on November 11, 2021 [10 favorites]
I was once on a trip in Alaska past the Arctic Circle in a caravan of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans. Each of these were diesel, and each had several auxiliary heating systems designed to keep the cabins warm as well as warm up the engines after they had been sitting overnight, past what you would normally get from glo plugs and block heaters.
The first night there, both systems failed to keep pace with the conditions (it was January, and temps were around -57 C). We lost one of our vans after it simply refused to approach a start condition, and had to have it towed to a garage where it saw for several days thawing out before it would.
From that point on, we kept the vehicles running 24/7, which proved problematic when we arrived at Coldfoot and found that their diesel tanks were empty. As we waited for their tanker supply truck to arrive, one by one, the vans in our convoy idled out and stalled, leaving just one running on fumes. We were lucky it was only a few hours before we could get diesel into them again, and even luckier that they fired up again that night.
posted by jordantwodelta at 3:15 PM on November 11, 2021 [10 favorites]
On average, the temperature on Mars is about minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Less salo and vodka tho...
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:16 PM on November 11, 2021
Less salo and vodka tho...
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:16 PM on November 11, 2021
That fish market looks amazing
posted by fluttering hellfire at 3:33 PM on November 11, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by fluttering hellfire at 3:33 PM on November 11, 2021 [5 favorites]
I love the scene of the guy jumping into the hot spring, although I wonder if it was actually not all that hot. People making theit most of the environment they are in, whether it be freezing cold or sweltering hot is so admirable. There is fun to be had if one has the imagination, health and free time to put into it. My partner cannot stand the Winter in northern Ohio, while I really don't mind it at all. I've travelled and lived in all kinds of environments and learned that people can have fun in extreme setting, so no need to mope about it. I still like to go out and roll in the snow like I did while living in Canada and then take a warm shower, it really is so therapeutic for me. I wish we had an outdoor hot tub and sauna, that would be even better!
posted by waving at 3:56 PM on November 11, 2021
posted by waving at 3:56 PM on November 11, 2021
On average, the temperature on Mars is about minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids. In fact, it’s cold as hell.”
✅
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:44 PM on November 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
“Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids. In fact, it’s cold as hell.”
✅
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:44 PM on November 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
Sorry if this is ignorant but what’s wrong with an electric block heater? Do they not work below a certain temperature?
All the other liquids that help keep your car going are not happy with extreme cold either: Brake fluid, coolant, ATF/gear oil, differential oil etc. I've operated military vehicles down to around -40C, and even if you heat the engine, you can feel the rest of the vehicle systems struggling to work properly until they've heated up from use.
And the battery is really struggling, though you can remedy that with an electric battery heater in tandem with the block heater, I guess.
posted by Harald74 at 1:57 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
All the other liquids that help keep your car going are not happy with extreme cold either: Brake fluid, coolant, ATF/gear oil, differential oil etc. I've operated military vehicles down to around -40C, and even if you heat the engine, you can feel the rest of the vehicle systems struggling to work properly until they've heated up from use.
And the battery is really struggling, though you can remedy that with an electric battery heater in tandem with the block heater, I guess.
posted by Harald74 at 1:57 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
I’ve spent plenty of time at -30 to -40 in Alaska. It’s rough, with the immediate risk being frostbite within minutes on exposed skin, especially if there’s wind. (Spoiler alert: there’s always fucking wind.) And yes, people leave diesel motors running when it’s that cold in America too. Gas motors will usually be ok with a block heater. But sometimes not.
Weirdly you sort of learn to appreciate, if not enjoy, the power of that coldness. I am quite addicted to the experience.
You have to eat enormous quantities of fat calories to maintain energy, this being the impeccable logic of the traditional Inuit reliance on marine mammal fat for food.
-70 might be a bit too much even for me.
posted by spitbull at 4:19 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
Weirdly you sort of learn to appreciate, if not enjoy, the power of that coldness. I am quite addicted to the experience.
You have to eat enormous quantities of fat calories to maintain energy, this being the impeccable logic of the traditional Inuit reliance on marine mammal fat for food.
-70 might be a bit too much even for me.
posted by spitbull at 4:19 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
Meant to say I’ve experienced as low as -60 in the Bering Strait (St. Lawrence Island, where I hang out now). At that level, no matter how well dressed you are or how close the nearest indoor escape might be, this southerner (we are all southerners to Inuit), even with 15 years of Arctic experience, knows a low level feeling of constant fear — which can easily become a sort of panic — that follows from knowing that if anything goes wrong you could be dead in 15 minutes.
You make sure nothing goes wrong as best you can. It’s one reason Inuit are also freaking awesome mechanics.
A reminder that when it’s that cold it’s also damn dark all the time. They work together to make the experience other worldly.
posted by spitbull at 4:27 AM on November 12, 2021 [8 favorites]
You make sure nothing goes wrong as best you can. It’s one reason Inuit are also freaking awesome mechanics.
A reminder that when it’s that cold it’s also damn dark all the time. They work together to make the experience other worldly.
posted by spitbull at 4:27 AM on November 12, 2021 [8 favorites]
At -40 degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius are just about equal.
posted by Metacircular at 5:30 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Metacircular at 5:30 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
Yeah I was talking in Fahrenheit but it’s not far off C in that range. -30 to -40 F is typical January and February weather on Alaska’s coastal north slope, where I’ve spent tons of winter time. That’s somewhat warmer than inland. If it’s -30 in Utqiagvik, it can be 10-15 colder in Fairbanks. More recently I’ve been in the middle of the Bering Strait in February (2020, this work has been pandemic-postponed) on St. Lawrence Island, and felt -50 F ambient. Holy shit. I had a half mile walk each day round trip that felt like ten miles in warmer conditions. Then add a bracing wind. Breathing becomes a struggle. -40 is the meeting point of F and C, I believe.
posted by spitbull at 8:17 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by spitbull at 8:17 AM on November 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
^ further to spitbull's comment, this speaks to the ingenuity of the peoples who figured out how to survive in these environments prior to the advent of so-called modernity.
I enjoyed Rudy Wiebe's attempt to portray the great differences in peoples and how they navigated and viewed their environment during the period of contact/exploration by the Europeans.
And speaking of running vehicles through the days, I believe the northern military air bases have to do similar things with some of the fighter/interceptor aircraft? I've heard of such.. just running those engines "in case," not sure if this was restricted to high alert periods or what.
posted by elkevelvet at 4:03 PM on November 12, 2021
I enjoyed Rudy Wiebe's attempt to portray the great differences in peoples and how they navigated and viewed their environment during the period of contact/exploration by the Europeans.
And speaking of running vehicles through the days, I believe the northern military air bases have to do similar things with some of the fighter/interceptor aircraft? I've heard of such.. just running those engines "in case," not sure if this was restricted to high alert periods or what.
posted by elkevelvet at 4:03 PM on November 12, 2021
-40 is the meeting point of F and C, I believe.
I’ve experienced it now and then. It is, I believe, technically known as the “O God why hast thou forsaken us?” point.
I’ve heard it said that any whether is tolerable if there is no wind, but down around that temp, when it hurts your lungs to grange, tolerance is limited. And as spitbull alludes, it makes you careful and humble, knowing that okay, the car is shelter, but if we go into the ditch and break a window, that’s an inconvenience elsewhere but here we’re corpses in an hour.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:37 PM on November 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
I’ve experienced it now and then. It is, I believe, technically known as the “O God why hast thou forsaken us?” point.
I’ve heard it said that any whether is tolerable if there is no wind, but down around that temp, when it hurts your lungs to grange, tolerance is limited. And as spitbull alludes, it makes you careful and humble, knowing that okay, the car is shelter, but if we go into the ditch and break a window, that’s an inconvenience elsewhere but here we’re corpses in an hour.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:37 PM on November 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
Or indeed simply if you can’t get the truck motor going you could be dead, so that — to get back to the original topic — is why you calculate leaving the motor running perpetually as a cost of doing business and staying alive.
Last I checked gas and diesel also cost about $9 a gallon in Utqiagvik, Alaska (big enough to have an actual — sort of — gas station) from finite supplies that have to be barged in during the summer. Even though they sit on the biggest oil field in North America, refined products are extremely expensive.
posted by spitbull at 8:25 AM on November 13, 2021
Last I checked gas and diesel also cost about $9 a gallon in Utqiagvik, Alaska (big enough to have an actual — sort of — gas station) from finite supplies that have to be barged in during the summer. Even though they sit on the biggest oil field in North America, refined products are extremely expensive.
posted by spitbull at 8:25 AM on November 13, 2021
Q&A: The Culture & Traditions in the Coldest Town on Earth, Yakutia
posted by ellieBOA at 9:23 AM on November 18, 2021
posted by ellieBOA at 9:23 AM on November 18, 2021
« Older This disinformation campaign must be directly... | Known But To God Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by ellieBOA at 8:04 AM on November 11, 2021 [3 favorites]