40-mile Russian convoy to face minus 20-degree temperatures, turning tanks into refrigerators.

[Doodley]

Arctic air moving through Russia and Ukraine will combine with an easterly wind to make the temperature feel as cold as minus 20 by Wednesday, according to forecasts.

Russian troops are expected to find these conditions tough as they remain stuck in a column around 20 miles outside of the Ukrainian capital that has barely moved since last week.

"A metal tank is just a fridge at night if you are not running the engine," said Glen Grant, a senior defense expert at the Baltic Security Foundation


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-cold-snap-set-to-freeze-russian-convoy-could-see-soldiers-quit/ar-AAUMc6Y?ocid=msedgntp

[WarGamer]

1. Stalingrad redux.

[uponit7771]

5. +1,

[lapfog_1]

2. running the engine gives the javelins a nice thermal signature

I know the javelins don't like extreme heat, but I wonder how they like extreme cold.

Depending on how long the temps stay in that range, this is bad news for the Ukrainians as the ground that was thawing might freeze hard enough for the tanks to move across the fields, making them mobile again.

[Best_man23]

13. My bet is the Javelins will operate just fine

The Javelin and other weapons systems used by the US Military are normally tested down to -30F in labs and actual test use in Alaska. They need them to work in places like North Korea, and Eastern Europe.

In fact, the Javelins may be able to perform even better with heat signatures standing out from any standing snow or the cold ground.

If the colder weather persists, the ground could freeze hard enough to allow trucks and APCs to move; however, tanks may be another story.

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. Can you imagine being part of this 40 mile sitting duck?

Wondering, as you go hungry with limited thermal protection - Why? as you are sit in the darkness, also wondering if your ticket will be punched soon....

[Straw Man]

4. Is that Celsius or Fahrenheit?

-20℃ is -4℉. Still freakin' cold, but survivable.

[Crunchy Frog]

6. Good.

[maxsolomon]

7. Weather forecasts show lows in the 10s and 20s this week.

At worst, it will be 15F, -10C. But these are "wind chill" temps, where it FEELS LIKE -20C (AKA -4F).

So, great article.

[bluewater]

8. So the ground will be frozen for a broader attack? I thought warm weather was bad for the Russians.

That's not exactly good news...

C'mon people, a week ago everyone was ecstatic that the weather was warmer and mud was everywhere so the Russians were trapped snaking along narrow roads...

Now cold weather and frozen ground is bad?

[CanonRay]

10. I doubt it will freeze far enough down to support a tank

[bluewater]

11. I doubt it matters at all.

But some people thought it did.

[sarisataka]

9. News services need to remember

There is more than one scale to measure temperature. The -20 is Celsius and is the wind chill, vehicles provide protection from the wind.

Here is the forecast for Kyiv and I know from experience these temperatures are quite bearable.

10 Day Weather-Kyiv, Kiev, Ukraine

Thu 10
28°/16°

Fri 11
30°/16°

Sat 12
35°/24°

Sun 13
38°/25°

Mon 14
39°/27°

Tue 15
42°/26°

Wed 16
44°/28°

Thu 17
45°/29°

Fri 18
42°/29°

Sat 19
42°/29°

Sun 20
42°/28°

Mon 21
41°/29°

Tue 22
41°/29°

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Kyiv+Kiev+Ukraine?canonicalCityId=0b66fcc8c4490e8b96bcf6af087a80df429e7ce442645cf1a27546703dbd551a

[Hortensis]

12. Umhm. The other day reported below-0 temps were actually around 32F.

[Hav]

14. Sounds like looking at some reports in Celsius and others in F (n/t)

[Hortensis]

15. Yes, plus wind chill in either. Can't be at all pleasant for them anyway. nt

[hlthe2b]

16. Well, well, well. History does repeat itself (though Russians are on the opposite side this time)

of freezing campaigns by Hitler and Napolean to defeat their enemy in Russia.

[Gore1FL]

17. I made a joking comment last week...

...Putin's only chance now is to retreat to Moscow before winter ends and hope the Ukrainians follow.