Coming week starting Monday is going to be arctic like week here following a January thaw where temperatures were a few degree C above freezing. Arctic like temperatures are always expected between mid-January and mid-February and then smooth sailing.
The coming week will bring LOW temperatures as low as  -16/-17F (-27C) with highest day time temp during the week being  below -7F (-22C). These are all forecasts but always come true with +/- 1 or 2 deg.
I am OK with circuit breakers this week (2 separate circuits).
The metal drum with water will be taken care of for next winter. The bodies inside the garage like pots full of soil and plants makes difference (like temperature inertia or hysteresis). After the previous deep freeze when outside temperatures started going up, temperature inside the garage was a few degrees colder than outside temperature with heater on as before. So, it should work the reverse too when there is a nightly spike-like low of -20F that can happen once in a while during the year. A water drum will have assuring effect. (Thanks for the suggestions given).

Wow, that is cold!!

Our January thaw here in central Maryland continued today with bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid-50's. That said we are to get a dose of your Arctic blast as well starting next week, predicted to be the coldest day time temps we've had in two to three years here.

Here's a snap of current temp and our forecast:

That is cold Akram.... stay warm!

Looks like lows of only -12c for us down here in the banana belt of Canada.

You might also get out the spray foam and search for any cracks or air leaks.

It is going to be cold.

Good luck Akram, you might want to get some blankets for next week.

Looks like it's time to crank up the heaters to keep my babies warm! Arctic air with 30+ mph winds.
Well this will be the ultimate test on a couple of trees that I'm leaving completely exposed, while all the others are kept in the garage.

Good luck Akram.  It will be cold here too (not quite as cold, but they're saying highs between 0F and 3F a couple of the days, not sure yet what the lows are predicted to be).  You're right that the "heat sink" effect works in both directions.  Anything massive (especially if it's a material with a high specific heat) will tend to have that buffering effect on temperature fluctuation (in both directions).  That's the idea of the drum full of water (water has a fairly high specific heat).  You can achieve something like that if you can put other materials out there with your trees too (additional heat sink buffering)... but if you do it, use things that are already warmer than the temp in the garage so that they'll be giving up heat rather than taking heat.  (I mean other household things... even pots of hot water, since you can't fit the 55gal drum, smaller items can still help if you can fit them).  If you can periodically put out some things that are warm from in the house, they'll give up their heat too (every little bit helps).  I'm planning to use some of those oil-filled electric radiator heaters during this cold snap  (though a little worried about it being a garage that has cars in it, with gasoline in the tanks).  

One other thing that is definitely worth looking at -- check that the garage door is really ALL THE WAY closed, with the seal pressed down against the floor.  Even a very small "crack" of just a millimeter or two really lets out a lot of heat and exchange of air.  (the door is so wide, a couple of millimeters times a few meters long is like having a significant hole in the wall). Windows are big heat losers too (especially if single pane as most garage windows are) -- tape something over the windows, plastic or cardboard.

The big thing is the heaters though.  Good luck.  (to all of us in the cold places... especially you guys there in the coldest of them).

Mike   central NY state, zone 5

Brrrr! I'll join in with the forecast.

First pic is degree's in Fareinheight (°F)
Second pic is Celicius (°C)

A walk-in freezer would feel warmer than this.

Jennifer

Yup, it ain't going to be fun.  But then you know, what ever doesn't kill you.....just makes you want to move to zone 9/10? 

For the outside trees, put Christmas lights in them and cover with blankets then a tarp.  The blankets don't even have to reach to the ground, although it's better if they do.

I know it's not supposed to get subzero here, but I thought I would get some opinions. I usually set an alarm to remind me to water my potted figs in the garage usually about very three weeks. The garage is detached and can get cold. Should I skip watering this week incase it gets really cold in there? I poked up a few pots and the feel like they have some weight to them so I don't think they will be over dry in a week. I do plan to use a small heater to buffer cold a little.

Looks ok to me



 

Its 20 out here but hey days are getting longer !
Mondays high will be 12  thanks Akram !

You are welcome, Martin.
And Tuesday LOW will be -16F to -17F. That is OK now  since we got a warning and  day or two to prepare.

Bob - I like the idea of using Christmas lights as heaters.  I might try that this week for the ones in the garage.  (It's probably safer than the electric radiator idea, since there's gasoline in there).  I didn't set it up this evening though, but hopefully I'll get some time tomorrow.

I also bought a couple of 250W infrared bulbs for the ceiling fixtures (bulb type R40).  Don't know if that's another option for you too Akram... i.e. if you've got the juice for them on those circuits.  Radiant heat just might be a good addition to the convection heating you've got going with those heaters though.  If you try it, I'd suggest the ones with the extra "shatterproofing" (the kind made for bathrooms and other humid rooms).  There are also 125W infrared bulbs  (they're "spot light" shaped, but they fit in a regular standard screw-in bulb mount, just like a regular 100W bulb fixture).  And get this:  they're Sylvania bulbs, made for (and imported by) OSRAM Sylvania Ltd./Ltee, which is based in... Mississauga Ontario.   So there's a sort-of connection to Nelson, too.  (Sylvania also makes the 125W infrared heat bulbs).

Bracing for that cold air now...

Mike   central NY state, zone 5

my city，shenzhen

Mike, I do have a couple of those bulbs and will hang the bulb over a relatively big water pots.
That should ease the pain on the plants.
Put construction sand inside and out around the garage door touching the ground and removed the battery cells from the outside garage door opener to avoid opening by visiting children and will stay that will for a couple of weeks . A few minutes blast at -17F can cause a lot of setback.

A real fig KILLER weather to all approx same hardy figs....
I'm struggling...

Got my fingers crossed for you guys!  Stay warm and make cookies!! 

Sending warm thoughts your way,
Suzi

Car wouldn't start this morning.  I haven't used a block heater for like ten years, but my son has taken over my garage for his "band", so I may need to look into one.  My sole lonely grown up fig tree is okay (nestled into a corner with interior wall on one side, and under grade wall on the other, but I had two banana plants in there that i think are toast. 

Tomorrow night is -34 degrees with the windchill!  That's -29 fahrenheit!  Brrrr..... Stay warm everyone!

A walk-in FREEZER would feel warmer than this crazy weather. I am at -2° F

Dave, just take this deep freezing week off.
I remember a few years back (8~9) when most of the lomo and taxi drivers took days off because cars would not start. A guest at our house called for taxi because our car would not start either and he was told there could be 5/6 hours wait. Luckily for him we found a friend who parks his car in a heated garage.

Ottawan - maybe I should start a business selling replacement trees. LOL.
Weather here hit -6C for 3 nights. Hardly any snow. Just cold nights & mornings.
So far winter have been mild.

Woke up this morning and saw 3 degrees Fahr outside and snow....same forecast for the next 2 days.My inground fig trees "love" this weather....Every winter i have to say this:I hate OHIO...