Personally, if it gets much below 45F, I'm getting out a gas or liquid fueled stove. You can make an alcohol stove work, but to me it starts seeming like too much trouble.

In colder weather, almost every alcohol stove will need to be primed. I use the lid off of a little tea container. It's just a bit wider than my stove. I set the stove (already fueled) in the primer pan, pour in a little alcohol, and light the alcohol. The alcohol in the primer pan heats the alcohol in the body of the stove and induces vaporization.

Because you're having to prime and because you're having to work with water (or snow) that is much colder, you're going to have to carry a lot more alcohol. Again, me personally, I don't see an alcohol stove as my "go to" stove for cold weather, but they can be made to work. Each to his own.

HJ