How to Safely Remove Snow From Your Car in Winter

I grew up in Connecticut, so I know what it’s like to live in an area where it snows. It can be a real pain in the you-know-what to remove the fluffy white stuff from your car after a big storm. It takes time. It can be exhausting and, in some cases, it can be dangerous—or lead you to danger.

Did you know, for example, that you should always check that your tailpipe is clear of snow before driving? “A blockage could cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to fill the interior once the car is turned on,” writes Reader’s Digest in this post full of car-in-snow tips. With snow still falling or possible in much of the U.S., RD‘s advice is timely and worth looking over. It’s broken into five steps, starting with things you can do before the snow starts to make snow removal easier and finishing with your car back on the road. You may not think you need guidance to effectively remove snow from your car (you may even be right), but I found some of it pretty helpful. Two other examples:

• Step 1: If you park your car in the driveway, prepare for the storm before it starts by backing out as close to the street as possible (without blocking the sidewalk, of course). That way, you’ll have less driveway to shovel out in order to get on the road.

And:

• Step 5: Don’t feel you need to get every last bit of snow off the car. It’s alright to turn on the heat and defroster and let modern technology do the rest. If it doesn’t clear off, though, you’ll want to get back outside and finish the job. Driving with snow on the car is dangerous (and in many cases illegal).

It’s true: Mental Floss lists 11 states in which driving with ice or snow on your car can earn you a fine (of up to $1,000). Since laws change often, though, if you want to know your local laws your best bet is to Google them.

How to remove snow from your car, in video

You can also see much of RD‘s advice demonstrated in the short AAA video below:

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