I've been talking with a friend in Chicago, and he's mentioned about
schools being closed due to the very cold weather there. I asked
specifically the reasons for the closings, and he could not really tell
me. I also searched online for some explanations. Does anyone know? Too
expensive to heat the buildings? Health risk for kids waiting outside for
buses? Buses malfunctioning?
He also mentioned that many stores are out of HEET. As I understand it,
HEET is a sort of gasoline antifreeze that contains alcohol which prevents
the carburetor from icing. Is this additive really necessary since
gasoline, depending on the type, generally freezes at a very low
temperature (-72 °C)? And does this depend on how full the gas tank is?