I'm getting better mileage so it must be warming up

Finally we're starting to lose all the snow. John and I figured that we've had significant snow on the ground for over three months. For the past week, though, we've enjoyed some halfway decent weather.

So what's the connection with gas mileage? It's my hybrid vehicle. I have a Ford Escape Hybrid, which I love a lot. But it (and all the other hybrids out there) use NiCd batteries. If you have ever left a flashlight with rechargeable batteries outside at night you may have been surprised that the batteries discharged much more than you normally would expect. The same thing happens with rechargeable batteries in a hybrid vehicle. The batteries don't hold a charge when they are cold, and they don't recharge well either. From spring through fall I typically get mileage in the low 30's; once winter arrives, though, my mileage plummets into the low 20's.