I just bought a 2011 Mazda CX-7 from a dealer during the recent polar vortex (2019 January) in Madison. The car worked fine for a week and didn't expect the battery to go completely dead. Now, due to the rapid thawing and freezing in Madison last week (first week of Feb) the hood release latch does not work. I believe the hood release to be mechanically operated (correct me if I am wrong), if so, can the cold cause the hood release to get stuck. I had trouble opening the door also, I had to use normal than excess force to open the doors.

What about would be the best solution to solve this issue? How can I open the hood to check and jump start the battery with what I believe a freeze-stuck hood?