advice asked for the operation of Epson printer

I can't speak to your extreme weather conditions, but I'll give you my experience on the rest.

I have a 3880.  It's a major joy in my life.  For me, the search for the perfect print is as much fun as shooting the images.  I'm not a pro but a serious enthusiast.

I sometimes go months between printing sessions.  I turn the printer off when not in use and I keep it covered with a Tumi cover to keep out dust.  In almost 3 years I've not had a single head clog.  I run a nozel check when I fire up the 3880 after extended periods of non-use but so far no problems.  I'm still on my original ink set so I obviously don't print in high volume.  Prints still look as stellar as when the printer was new.

There's always a learning curve with high-quality printers but this Epson has required zero maintenance and requires no rocket science to operate.  I wish I could say the same about all of the older Epsons I used to own!  

Sal