Plug in the cars, CAA advises Winnipeggers as deep cold moves in

The return to bitter cold in southern Manitoba has CAA warning people to make sure to plug in their cars.

"If you're not plugging in your car for at least four hours before you drive, you will run the risk of having your car not start at all," said CAA spokeswomanLiz Kulyk.

The forecast calls for themercury to beginplummeting on Friday, leading into a stretch of colder-than-normal weather that will lastwell into next week.

• Windy, cold Friday ahead for Winnipeg

Kulykexpectsas many as 800 calls on Monday for people who need a boost to get their vehicles started.That could mean waits for service for more than an hour and a half.

"Come Monday when people probably haven't driven their cars as much maybe even just on Sunday leaving it not driven when they get up for work on Monday morning, you're going to find that a lot of people with those older batteries, plugged in or not, might not start," she said.

"[And] once that battery gets to a state where it's more frozen than not, you might actually be looking at having to replace your battery no matter how old it is."