Stingl: Winter warriors keep their furnaces turned off as long as they can stand it

A game of chicken plays out in Wisconsin this time of year. How long can you last before firing up the furnace at home?

Most normal people don’t care to compete. One chilly day in September and they’re juicing the thermostat.

Officially, the heating season around here begins Oct. 1, according to the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program. So the challenge is to shiver at least a month longer than that before finally heating the house. Nov. 1 is a target date you often hear among the hardy and the winter deniers.