Baby it's cold outside

We're getting the tail end of the recent Russian cold snap (it was -50 C there) and temps here are hovering around 0 F, dipping below at night. Not nearly so bad, but still quite chilly.

I was on my way downtown this morning and, as I turned a corner, I saw two guys standing in front of a beat up old Yugo with the hood up. They were holding this big black box thing under the hood, balancing it precariously on the front of the car. I couldn't imagine what it might be; it looked maybe like the back of a TV. As I walked by, I turned my head to see what it was, and it was an electric heater. They were literally warming up the engine to combat the cold.