Stuck in your car in snow: how to stay safe until help arrives

Every winter, thousands of drivers in Europe and North America end up stranded for hours on roads closed by snowstorms. Most of these situations end well, but one common mistake can turn them into tragedies: running the engine while the exhaust pipe is buried in snow.

This guide is adapted from US emergency management guidance (FEMA and state agencies), which is in the public domain, and extended for drivers in Europe.

Before: don’t travel if you don’t have to

• When a severe winter storm warning is out, postpone the trip. Check the weather service and road conditions before you leave.
• In winter, keep the tank at least half full.
• Use winter tires where required or where you regularly drive on snow. For mountain roads, carry chains and practice fitting them at home, not in a blizzard.
• Tell someone your route and when you expect to arrive.

The winter trunk kit

• Folding shovel and an ice scraper or brush
• Thick blankets or a sleeping bag, hats, gloves, spare socks
• Water and high-energy snacks (bars, nuts, chocolate)
• Flashlight and batteries, a charged power bank, a car phone charger
• First aid kit and daily medication
• High-visibility vest and warning triangle
• Sand or cat litter for traction under the wheels
• Jumper cables
• A piece of brightly colored cloth to tie to the antenna or mirror

The rest of the year-round gear is in the car emergency kit.

If you get stuck

1. Stay in the car. Only walk if you can clearly see a building nearby and are sure you can reach it.
2. Call the emergency number. Give the road, the nearest marker or the last town you passed, how many people are with you and any health problems. If you can, share your location from your maps app.
3. Make yourself visible: hazard lights on, triangle out, colored cloth on the antenna. At night, switch the interior light on from time to time.
4. Check the exhaust pipe. Clear the snow around it before each start, and again if it keeps snowing.
5. Run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes every hour. Keep a window slightly open on the side away from the wind, at least while the engine runs.
6. Keep warm: layers, blankets, huddle together. Move a little, but don’t work up a sweat.
7. Drink and eat, but don’t eat snow: it lowers your body temperature. Melt it first.
8. Save your phone battery: low-power mode, minimum brightness, short calls.

Hypothermia and frostbite

Hypothermia: heavy shivering, then shivering stops, slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness. Wrap the person up, give warm non-alcoholic drinks if they’re conscious and tell the emergency operator.

Frostbite: white or grayish, hard, numb skin, especially on fingers, nose and ears. Don’t rub it and don’t warm it directly over a flame or hot air vent. Rewarm gradually against the body or under blankets.

Afterwards

When snowplows or police arrive, follow their instructions. If your car stays put and you’re taken to a shelter, bring your ID, medication, phone and power bank.

For getting your home ready, see our winter storm and extreme cold guide.