"Larry" wrote in message

I wouldn't run it until Spring at all. If you start it without cooling
water, it'll tear up the pump impeller running it dry against its
housing. If you run it in cooling water, that'll freeze before you can
get it to drain, taking a chance of frozen water doing internal damage in
the already-frigid weather.

I think the advice to run it is climate dependant. That said.. once an
outboard block is warmed up, it'll always drain out before anything can
possibly freeze.

-W