I was wondering if any non pro's out there had any experience
replacing large panes of glass during the harsh winters we have in the
North East in Canada and the US. We have a double glazed(?) large
frosted glass panel right beside the front door, the front door and
panel being somewhat covered by a porch roof, but with the rest of the
porch open, with no side protection from the elements.

The inside panel (inside the house) was replaced by a couple of diy
relatives a few years ago after it was broken. Now, the outside panel
has broken (large metal handle of snow scoop fell against it and
barely missed taking out the inside panel too) and we are wondering if
because of the extreme temps and snow now here, if the same effort
taken to repair the indoor panel will be worth the repair of the
outside panel.

This is a very large panel, roughly 7 feet high x 4 feet wide, at
around 1/8 inch thick. The 2 frosted panels are separated all around
the frame by ~ 2"s of inner wood frame/space and there is no special
gas or airlock between the panels. The outer wooden frame of the panel
has various sizes due to its proximity to the front door, ie, the
vertical frame closest to the front door is slimmer, and the other
vertical frame closest to the rest of the front porch is wider.

Has any d-i-y'er out there successfully replaced one of these big
panels in the frigid temps? I was also wondering about the putty to be
used, if it would freeze. Are there any other special steps to take? I
do vaguely remember helping out with the repair of the first panel,
but it's a distant memory, and I can't remember what the start to
finish procedure was. The price to buy the new glass panel is $150 and
another $200 (cheapest estimate!) to place it in if you want the pro
labour included.