Won't shift out of park, all instrument lights on

[BAH]

Hi all, bit of a problem. I had started the car about three times today, the last time, it would not shift out of park and all the instrument lights were on. Engine started ok and was responsive to the throttle. Tried restarting it about three times, all with the same issue. Then, after about five mins of running, all the lights went out, and I was able to shift. Drove home, shut it off, started it again and it works fine. My wife told me it happened to her in November after it sat for a bit. It has been cold here (-32C) and the car has sat for about a week. It was a slow start this morning, as in a weak battery, but the other starts after that seemed fine.
Any ideas?
Bryan.