If you live along the East Coast, expect the weather outside to be frightful this weekend. Here’s … [+]
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Hold onto your hats. A vicious Nor’easter will be slamming the East Coast this weekend, with blizzard conditions expected to wreak havoc on highways and local roads alike. That means stifling winds, coastal flooding, and as much as three feet of accumulating snow in the storm’s path. And this is on top of the earlier event this month that caused hundreds of motorists to spend the night in their cars, stranded on a snow-packed highway south of Washington, D.C.
The best advice is, of course, to just stay home, pour a glass of wine (or two, or three) and binge watch streaming television shows until the storm blows over and the shoveling begins. But if you absolutely have to leave the house—let’s hope for a very important reason—here’s how to cope with the worst Old Man Winter can throw at us.
First off, if it’s severely cold and you haven’t gotten a new battery in a few years, accept the fact that your car may not start. You can always call for a tow truck, but you may have to wait for hours until an overburdened driver can come to the rescue. Jump-starting the car may be a more effective solution, assuming you have a set of jumper cables and a willing participant with a car that’s already running, but that’s hardly a pleasant task under the most inclement conditions.
If you must jump-start your car, follow the directions in how to accomplish this as detailed in the owner’s manual. Better yet, take a break and head to an auto parts store to have a new battery installed as cheap insurance before the storm hits.
Assuming your vehicle’s engine turns over, take particular caution once you hit the road. Turn on the car’s headlamps and take it easy on the accelerator – even if your vehicle is equipped with all- or four-wheel-drive. Driving all four wheels might make a vehicle go faster on wet pavement, but even the beefiest 4X4 trucks can spin out of control on a patch of ice or through a slick curve if it’s moving too quickly. Leave extra room between you and the traffic ahead – your car’s brakes won’t work as well as they would on dry asphalt. Keep an eye out for frozen patches, especially on bridges and overpasses which tend to freeze sooner than paved roads.
Avoid using the vehicle’s cruise control to keep reaction times to a minimum. Accelerate smoothly when climbing hills to avoid spinning the wheels and maintain your car’s momentum without stopping; reduce speed and drive as slowly down hill as possible. If you do hit a slippery spot and the vehicle begins to skid, stay calm and steer in the direction you want to go, maintaining a light and steady foot on the accelerator. Slamming on the brakes is usually counter-productive when a car or truck is sliding sideways.
If you’re coming to a stop in straight line and feel the brake pedal pulsating or chattering (and/or the “ABS” light is flashing on the instrument panel), this means the antilock function is activated. Do not let up on the brakes should this occur – maintain a firm foot on the pedal until the vehicle comes to a stop. And if the stability control warning light flashes on the dashboard, meaning the system is engaging to help counter wheel spin, interpret it as a signal to slow down.
Should your vehicle become stuck in the snow, avoid spinning the tires, as you’ll only be digging yourself into a deeper rut. If you’re driving a four-wheel-drive SUV or pickup, engage the low-range gearing to help crawl out of a snow bank, though it may be of less value if all four wheels are sitting on icy patches. Be sure to disengage low gearing once you get the vehicle up to speed to avoid damaging the system.
Otherwise, switch off the car’s traction control – which tends to work against your efforts when there’s zero traction – and gradually “rock” the vehicle back and forth to get it unstuck. Shift into the lowest gear (second gear if it’s a manual transmission) and slowly creep ahead as far as possible – perhaps only an inch or two at a time – then engage the brakes, put the car into reverse and repeat the process back and forth several times to gradually get unstuck.
If rocking the vehicle out of the snow doesn’t work, throw several handfuls of sand or cat litter (if you have it on hand) under the wheels to achieve just enough grip to get going. Otherwise wedge sheets of cardboard or even the car’s floor mats under the tires to help get going; if there’s nothing else handy, try using tree branches or other organic debris. If you can’t get the vehicle free after several minutes, and there’s nobody around that can help give the car a push to get going, call a tow truck to avoid causing damage to your car’s transmission and other components.
If you’re driving in a more-remote area and roads become too slick or visibility is severely compromised, pull off the road when it’s safe to do so, turning on the car’s hazard lights and hanging something as a distress flag from the antenna. If there’s a safe haven in the immediate area in which you can take shelter, head for it. If not, stay in the car and either wait for a break in the weather or for help to arrive. Call for assistance and switch on an inside light so rescuers or workers can see you.
If you’re forced to remain in the car for an extended period, run the engine and heater for only about 10 minutes each hour to preserve fuel while keeping warm. Be sure to open a downwind window slightly for ventilation and periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe to prevent possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
And keep in mind as you watch the snow pile up, we’re only about two months away from the first day of spring.
