Before a snowstorm, choose a suitable parking spot, check your fuel or charge, confirm visibility equipment works and put emergency supplies in the car. Then check official forecasts and road restrictions before deciding whether to travel.
This checklist focuses on the approaching storm. For seasonal servicing, use our Winter Car Checklist. For driving decisions and roadside problems, see Is Your Car Ready for a Snowstorm?
In This Guide
Your Snowstorm Car Checklist
Complete these checks while you can still move around safely. Do not wait until snow, ice or falling branches make preparation hazardous.
| Done | Task | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Check the storm forecast | Timing, freezing rain, snowfall, wind, visibility and local warnings. |
| ☐ | Choose your parking spot | Comply with snow-emergency rules and avoid obvious overhead hazards. |
| ☐ | Check fuel or EV charge | Leave a useful reserve for delays, detours and unavailable services. |
| ☐ | Inspect tires | Correct cold pressure, suitable tread and no unresolved damage or air loss. |
| ☐ | Check visibility equipment | Working lights, defrosters, wipers and appropriately rated washer fluid. |
| ☐ | Address known faults | No unresolved starting, braking, overheating or serious warning-light concerns. |
| ☐ | Load emergency supplies | Warmth, communication, lighting, food, water and snow-clearing equipment. |
| ☐ | Prepare for essential travel | Open route, required traction equipment, shared itinerary and a backup plan. |
A completed checklist does not make every trip safe. Closures, travel restrictions and deteriorating conditions can still mean staying put.
Where Should You Park Before a Snowstorm?
Check Snow-Emergency Parking Rules
Move the vehicle before restrictions take effect. Street-parking rules may change so plows can clear the road, and a vehicle left in the wrong place may be ticketed or towed.
Check the local government or road authority’s instructions rather than assuming your usual space remains available.
Choose Accessible Parking Away From Obvious Hazards
If available, use a suitable garage or sheltered parking space. Outdoors, avoid visibly damaged branches, unstable structures and locations exposed to falling roof snow or ice.
Leave room to open doors and clear snow. Keep access to walkways, hydrants and other required areas unobstructed.
Never run a combustion engine in a garage or enclosed space. A hybrid may start its engine automatically while switched on.
Should You Cover the Car With a Tarp?
A general-purpose tarp can flap, rub trapped dirt against the paint and become difficult to remove when frozen. Improvised ropes or hooks may also damage trim.
If you use a cover, choose one intended for outdoor vehicle use, fit it to a clean car and follow the instructions. A properly fitted windshield cover can make clearing the glass easier without covering the whole vehicle.
Remove every cover before starting or moving the car. Do not run an engine beneath a cover or allow fabric to obstruct the exhaust.
Should You Put a Tarp Under the Car?
A tarp beneath the vehicle is not a useful last-minute snowstorm preparation step. It can collect water, freeze in place or become a slipping and entanglement hazard.
Long-term winter storage is a separate project. Use a suitable storage surface and follow the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions rather than improvising a ground cover as a universal moisture barrier.
Check the Vehicle Before Conditions Worsen
Tires: A Penny Test Is Not a Snow-Traction Certificate
Check cold pressure using the vehicle’s tire-information label. Inspect for damage, uneven wear and repeated pressure loss.
Do not use 2/32 or 3/32 inch as a target for confident snow driving. A tire near its wear limit may provide poor snow traction even where it remains legally usable. Assess tire type, remaining tread and expected conditions together.
If fitting winter tires, use an appropriate set of four and follow vehicle and tire guidance. Chains or other traction devices must also be compatible with the vehicle and local requirements.
Compare Winter, All-Weather and All-Season Tires
Battery: Investigate Slow Starting
If the engine has been cranking slowly or the car has needed repeated jump-starts, arrange testing before the storm. A battery may need charging, replacement or investigation of another fault.
Check that a portable jump pack is charged and stored within its manufacturer’s temperature limits. Do not charge or jump-start a battery that may be frozen or damaged.
Washer Fluid, Wipers and Defrosters
Use washer fluid rated for the temperatures expected along your route. Adding winter fluid to a tank full of summer fluid dilutes its protection.
Test the front defroster, rear-window defroster and blower. Replace ineffective wiper blades, but do not assume dedicated winter blades are necessary for every vehicle.
Coolant and Other Fluids
Confirm that coolant protection is suitable if its concentration or history is uncertain. Use the specified coolant and mixture; a 50/50 mix is common but is not a universal instruction for every vehicle or climate.
Never open a hot cooling-system pressure cap. Repeated coolant loss needs diagnosis, not routine topping up.
A storm forecast does not automatically justify a coolant flush, different oil viscosity or an all-fluid service package.
Read: Does Your Car Need a Coolant Flush Before Winter?
Fuel and EV Charge
For a gasoline or diesel vehicle, keeping at least half a tank during storm travel is a useful planning habit. The main benefit is reserve for delays and detours, rather than relying on added weight or a promise that fuel lines cannot freeze.
EV drivers should allow for cold-weather range changes, heating demand and charger availability. Charge ahead of worsening conditions and follow the vehicle’s preconditioning instructions.
Brakes and Lights
Check the lights and address unusual braking symptoms before leaving. A soft pedal, reduced braking or serious warning light is not something to test on a snowy road.
NHTSA’s winter-driving guidance covers tire pressure, battery checks, lighting and other preparation priorities.
What Should Be in Your Car for a Snowstorm?
Pack for everyone traveling, including children and pets. Warm clothing should be available even if you expect only a short drive.
| Category | Checklist |
|---|---|
| Snow clearing | ☐ Ice scraper ☐ Snow brush ☐ Compact shovel |
| Warmth | ☐ Substantial blankets or suitable sleeping bags ☐ Coats ☐ Hats ☐ Gloves ☐ Dry socks ☐ Boots |
| Communication | ☐ Charged phone ☐ Car charger ☐ Charged power bank ☐ Assistance details |
| Food and water | ☐ Drinking water with allowance for freezing ☐ Nonperishable snacks |
| Lighting and visibility | ☐ Flashlight ☐ Spare batteries ☐ Suitable emergency markers ☐ Reflective vest |
| Roadside equipment | ☐ Compatible jump pack or cables ☐ Vehicle-specific tire equipment ☐ Wheel-lock key if needed |
| Personal needs | ☐ First-aid kit ☐ Necessary medication ☐ Child and pet supplies |
The National Weather Service’s vehicle-kit checklist includes insulation, communication, water, food and snow-clearing equipment.
Sand or suitable traction grit may help in limited situations. Do not assume road salt provides immediate traction, and do not attempt a recovery that exposes you to moving traffic.
Prefer battery-powered signaling equipment where appropriate. Never use road flares near leaking fuel, and do not step into traffic to place markers.
See the complete Winter Car Emergency Kit guide for planning around a prolonged delay.
Should You Drive During the Storm?
Check current forecasts, official road reports and restrictions immediately before departure. Review the whole route and return journey, including elevation changes and remote stretches.
The National Weather Service recommends preparing before the storm and sharing travel plans. Give someone your route and expected arrival time when travel is necessary.
Postpone When the Plan Depends on Luck
- Authorities advise against travel or the road is closed.
- Visibility is poor or expected to deteriorate sharply.
- Freezing rain or dangerous drifting affects the route.
- You lack required traction equipment.
- The vehicle has unresolved safety or starting problems.
- You have no practical place to stop if conditions worsen.
For advice on AWD, skids, black ice and roadside punctures, use our snowstorm driving guide.
Before Moving a Snow-Covered Car
- Check around the vehicle. Look for plow banks, hidden obstacles, falling ice and blocked access.
- Clear the exhaust before starting a combustion engine. Check again if snow continues accumulating.
- Remove snow from the roof, hood, windows, mirrors and lights. Follow instructions for cameras and sensors.
- Release frozen wipers gently. Do not switch them on against bonded ice.
- Clear inside frost or fog. Confirm that visibility stays clear.
- Check the exit path. Do not force the car through a drift reaching its underside.
Use a suitable scraper on glass and a clean automotive snow tool on appropriate surfaces. Do not scrape painted body panels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three P’s of winter driving?
A common reminder is Prepare, Protect and Prevent. Prepare the vehicle and journey, protect occupants with restraints and suitable supplies, and prevent crashes through cautious decisions and driving.
What driving mode should my car be in for snow?
Use the manufacturer’s guidance for your vehicle. A Snow mode may alter accelerator, transmission or traction-control behavior. It does not make unsuitable tires safe, and locking four-wheel-drive settings are not appropriate for every surface.
How many inches of snow can a car drive through?
There is no universal safe depth. Snow density, hidden ice, drifts, ground clearance, tires and road slope all matter. Reported snowfall is not the same as the depth across your route.
What wind speed can flip a car?
No single speed predicts every rollover. Gust direction, vehicle shape, exposure, road grip and whether a trailer is attached affect risk. Follow wind restrictions and local warnings rather than using a numerical threshold as permission to drive.
Should I lift my wipers before the snow?
Follow your vehicle’s instructions. Some require a service position, and raised arms can be damaged or strike the glass if they fall. Do not force arms past the hood or rely on this step instead of proper clearing.
Should I start the car during a storm if I am not going anywhere?
There is no universal need for occasional brief starts. Follow the storage guidance for the vehicle and battery. Never run the engine where exhaust can accumulate or where snow blocks the tailpipe.
Can I keep the car running all night if stranded?
Do not sleep with a combustion engine running. Snow blockage and exhaust intrusion create carbon-monoxide risks. Contact help, use emergency insulation and follow official stranded-vehicle guidance.
More Winter Help
- Winter Car Checklist: Before the First Freeze
- Winter Car Prep: What You Need and What Shops Upsell
- Car Ownership in Canada
- Can You Use Winter Tires All Year?
Prepare Before Access Gets Difficult
Choose parking, check the vehicle and pack supplies before the storm arrives. Recheck conditions before every necessary trip.
If roads or visibility are unsafe, leave the prepared car parked. The checklist gives you options without creating an obligation to drive.
Updated November 2026. Follow local parking restrictions, road advisories and vehicle-specific operating instructions.
No comments:
Post a Comment