In article .com,
wrote:

Don't use flourescent bulbs outdoors or places where you are turning on
and off the light a lot. For example, I have regular incandescent
bulbs in my hallway lights and in one bedroom, and flourescent bulbs
elsewhere. I am saving up my bad compact flourescent bulbs to take
back to Home Depot to take advantage of the 7 year guarantee when I get
enough of them to fill up an entire package (save the packaging and
reciept).

There are some models suitable for most outdoor use, as long as you
don't use them for motion sensor lights. Example: Philips "Outdoor", 15
and 18 watts. These do well in cold, although can take a few to
sometimes several minutes to warm up from a cold start.

I mention more detail in:

http://www.misty.com/~don/cfbest.html