If you’re stranded in your car during a blizzard, the single most important rule is to stay with your vehicle. Your car is a shelter, a signal for rescuers, and far easier to spot from the air than a person on foot. The National Weather Service is blunt on this point: if you leave your vehicle, you will become disoriented quickly in wind-driven snow and cold. Most blizzard survival comes down to managing three threats: carbon monoxide, hypothermia, and dehydration.
Stay in the Car, No Exceptions
Whiteout conditions can reduce visibility to a few feet. People who leave their vehicles in blizzards frequently lose sight of the car within minutes and cannot find their way back. Your car provides insulation from the wind, a dry space, and a visible target for search teams. Even if you think help is close, the safest move is to remain where you are until the storm passes or rescuers arrive.
Make your car visible. Turn on your hazard lights if the battery allows it. Tie a brightly colored cloth, ideally red, to your antenna or let it hang from a window so it contrasts against the snow. If you have road flares or reflective triangles, set them near the vehicle when conditions allow.
Carbon Monoxide Is the Hidden Killer
Running your engine for heat is tempting, but a snow-blocked exhaust pipe can turn your car into a death trap. When snow packs around the tailpipe, carbon monoxide from the exhaust seeps back into the cabin through small gaps and cracks in the vehicle’s undercarriage. You can’t see or smell it, and in an enclosed space it builds to dangerous levels within minutes.
Before you run the engine, get out and clear the snow away from the tailpipe. Check it every time before you restart the car. Run the heater for only about 10 to 15 minutes per hour to conserve fuel and reduce the risk of exhaust buildup. Keep a downwind window cracked slightly to allow fresh air circulation while the engine is on. Even a small opening makes a significant difference.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, nausea, and confusion. If you start feeling any of these while the engine is running, shut it off immediately and open a window.
Conserving Body Heat
When the engine is off, your car will cool down fast. The goal is to trap as much of your body heat as possible. If you have blankets, sleeping bags, or extra clothing, layer them on. Stuff newspaper, floor mats, or seat covers around your body for additional insulation. Cover your head, since you lose a significant amount of heat through your scalp.
If there are multiple people in the car, huddle together. Shared body heat is one of the most effective warming strategies you have. Move your arms and legs periodically, clap your hands, wiggle your toes. This keeps blood circulating to your extremities without burning excessive calories. Avoid large, vigorous movements that make you sweat, because damp clothing pulls heat away from your body much faster than dry clothing.
Recognizing Hypothermia Early
Hypothermia sets in when your core body temperature drops below 95°F. The first sign is shivering, which is your body’s automatic attempt to generate warmth. At this stage you can still recover by adding insulation and generating gentle movement.
As hypothermia progresses, the warning signs become more alarming: slurred speech, confusion, clumsiness, shallow breathing, and extreme drowsiness. A person in this state may stop shivering entirely, which is not a sign of improvement. It means the body has lost its ability to warm itself. If you notice a passenger becoming confused, unusually sleepy, or clumsy, do everything you can to warm them. Wrap them in whatever insulation is available and keep them awake.
Hydration Without Eating Snow
Dehydration is a real risk even in freezing temperatures. Cold air is extremely dry, and your body loses moisture with every breath. But eating snow directly is a poor solution. Snow is mostly air, so you’d need to consume roughly 8 to 10 quarts of it to equal the same volume of liquid water. Worse, your body has to spend energy and burn calories to melt that snow internally, which actually uses more water than you gain from it.
A better approach is to melt the snow before drinking it. If you have a dark-colored container or bottle, pack it with snow and place it on the dashboard where any available sunlight can warm it. Wrapping the container in dark fabric helps trap heat and speeds the melting process. If the sun isn’t visible, hold a sealed container of snow inside your coat and let your body heat melt it gradually. This is far more efficient than putting snow directly in your mouth. If you packed water bottles in your emergency kit, keep them inside the car rather than in the trunk so they’re less likely to freeze solid.
What to Keep in Your Car All Winter
The best time to prepare for a blizzard is before you’re in one. A basic winter emergency kit should live in your car from the first frost through spring. The National Weather Service recommends keeping the following on hand:
- Blankets or a sleeping bag for insulation when the engine is off
- Flashlight with extra batteries for signaling and visibility at night
- Calorie-dense food like granola bars, dried nuts, or chocolate that won’t freeze solid
- Water bottles stored in the cabin, not the trunk
- A small snow shovel for clearing the exhaust pipe and digging out tires
- Sand or kitty litter for tire traction when you’re ready to move again
- Road flares or reflective triangles to make your vehicle visible to rescuers and plows
- Ice scraper with brush to keep windows and mirrors clear
- A bright red cloth to tie to the antenna as a distress signal
- Extra warm clothing, hat, and gloves in case you’re caught underdressed
A fully charged phone with a car charger is also essential. Before a winter road trip, tell someone your route and expected arrival time so they can alert authorities if you don’t check in.
Managing Your Fuel Supply
If you’re stranded with a quarter tank or less, fuel conservation becomes critical. The 10-to-15-minutes-per-hour rule for running the heater keeps the cabin warm enough to prevent hypothermia while stretching your fuel over many hours. During the periods when the engine is off, seal the car as tightly as possible. Close all vents, roll up windows completely, and block any drafts you can feel with spare clothing or rags.
Between heating cycles, your car will lose warmth steadily, but it will still stay significantly warmer than the outside air. Think of each heating cycle as recharging the cabin’s temperature. The insulation from blankets, extra layers, and body heat fills the gaps between runs. If you started with a full or half tank, this strategy can keep you going for 24 hours or more.
When the Storm Breaks
Once visibility improves and winds die down, assess your situation before trying to drive. Check how deeply your car is buried. Use your shovel to clear snow from the exhaust, tires, and around the vehicle. Spread sand or kitty litter in front of and behind the drive wheels for traction. Rock the car gently between drive and reverse to work free of packed snow, but stop if the wheels are just spinning, as that digs you in deeper.
If you can’t get the car moving, stay put and wait for plows or rescue crews. With your red cloth visible and flares deployed, you’re far easier to find than someone walking along a snow-covered road. Patience is the hardest part of blizzard survival, but it’s also what keeps people alive.