Stay in the car. Blowing snow can hide a building only a few yards away, and rescuers find a car far more easily than a person.
Cold and weather · Cold and weather course
Stuck in a car in a snowstorm
In a winter storm, the car is your shelter. People get into trouble when they leave it to walk for help and get lost in the snow, or when the exhaust pipe gets buried and carbon monoxidecarbon monoxide A colorless, odorless gas from any open flame or stove in a closed space. It can kill without warning; the one visible sign is cherry red lips and inner eyelids. fills the car. These steps come from the National Weather Service.
Why this matters
Winter storms strand drivers every year. People who leave the car to walk for help are far more likely to be hurt or lost than people who stay put.
The car is a ready-made shelter, a signalsignal Anything in threes means help: three fires, three whistle blasts, three piles of rocks. and a windbreak, as long as you keep the exhaust clear.
What you need
- A winter car kit: blankets, hats and gloves, water, snacks, a flashlight, a phone charger, a small shovel, sand or kitty litter, jumper cables and a bright cloth.
A minute to learn; an hour to build the car kit before winter.
Step by step
Rungame trail A narrow path worn through grass or brush by animals using it over and over. A trap goes on a trail an animal already uses. the engine about 10 minutes every hour for heat, not all the time. That saves fuelfuel wood Dead wood from finger to wrist thick that keeps the fire going once the kindling has caught. and lowers carbon monoxide risk.
Before running the engine, clear snow away from the tailpipe. Crack a window on the side away from the wind while it runs. A buried tailpipe can fill the car with carbon monoxide, which has no smell.
Make the car easy to see: tie a bright cloth, red if you have it, to the antenna or a door. At night turn on the dome light while the engine runs. Once the snow stops, raise the hood.
Keep warm: put on every layer you have, share blankets, huddle together, and move your arms and legs to keep blood flowing. Do not sit still for hours.
Drink water and eat a little. Your body makes heat from food. Eating snow lowers your body temperature; melt it first if you can.
Take turns sleeping so someone is always awake to watch for rescuers and check the tailpipe.
Before winter, keep a car kit: blankets or a sleeping bag, extra hats and gloves, water and snacks, a flashlight, a phone charger, a small shovel, sand or kitty litter for traction, jumper cables and a bright cloth.
Tips from survival instructors
- Keep your gas tank at least half full all winter; it is your heat if you get stuck.
- Move your arms and legs and clap your hands every so often; it keeps blood flowing and helps you stay warm.
Common mistakes
- Walking away from the car. The fix: stay with it unless a building is in plain sight and close.
- Running the engine with a buried tailpipe. The fix: clear the tailpipe every time.
- Running the engine nonstop. The fix: about 10 minutes each hour.
- Driving with a near-empty tank. The fix: keep it at least half full in winter.
Practice it safely
Pack your car kit this weekend and keep it in the trunk all winter. Show everyone in the family where the tailpipe is and how to check it.
Quick check
A building might be half a mile away. Walk to it in the storm?
- Yes
- No; stay with the car
- Only at night
Show the answer
No; stay with the car
Take the quiz and earn the badge
The app checks your answers, keeps your place in the Cold and weather, and works with no signal once saved.
Before you rely on thisA learning tool, not a replacement for training. In an emergency, call 911.