How to Drive Through a Blizzard

A wintertime disaster can shut down a whole city. A blizzard warning means to expect sustained winds of 35 mph or more with large amount of falling or blowing snow that is expected to last for several hours. It is advisable to sit a blizzard out but if you must drive, here are some useful tips to remember.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cell phone
• Map
• Sack of sand

Before Driving

1. Make sure the tires have adequate tread. Vehicles with all-wheel drive are appropriate for driving in a blizzard. Check the brakes, battery and exhaust system for good working condition. Replace worn out wiper blades, fill washer reservoir with antifreeze solution and ensure you have a windshield scraper.

2. Call state highway patrol to check on road conditions. Ensure you know what you are getting into.

3. Prepare a winter car kit supplied with flashlights, extra batteries, bottled water, medicines, extra warm clothes, shovel and bright colored cloth to use as a flag.

While Driving

4. Drive during the day. Keep others informed of your schedule and have your cell phone charged. Try to drive with someone along.

5. Assess the direction and distance you are traveling using road maps before starting out. Heavy snowfall creates low visibility making it difficult to read road signs. Stay on the main roads.

6. Keep your headlights on all the time. Visibility and distance is distorted by falling snow. Operate the wipers during the drive and clear the windshield of snow manually if necessary.

7. Slow down over bridges and overpasses as the chilling air builds ice quicker on a bridge than on the roads. Double the four second rule to maintain additional stopping distance between cars while driving.
   
   

8. Counterbalance a skid during a blizzard by turning the steering wheel of the vehicle in the same direction as the back wheels are skidding. If they skid to the right, turn your wheel to the right.
   
   

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid spinning your wheels if your car is lodged in snow. Manually remove the snow from the tires and pour sand beneath the wheels to apply traction.
• Avoid back roads.

[Haoie]

on 11/3/2008 You really shouldn't drive through a blizzard, in any case, unless it's an emergency.

[huanton]

on 11/3/2008 Great stuff! I'll try this!

[harrietcat]

on 11/2/2008 I have a better idea... stay home in a blizzard!

[johnathamilton]

on 11/1/2008 Absolutely get WINTER tires. All weather radials are not adequate for winter driving let alone blizzards. The rubber on winter tires is softer than summer tires and sticks to the road better at temperatures less than 50 deg.F. This improves tire performance on those cold wet roads as well as the ice and snow.
Think of the investment in a dedicated set of winter tires as insurance ... for $600 you can have the proper tires. But the cost will be recouped by the fact that you don't have to replace tires as often. So in the end the cost is only the price of getting your car mechanic to change over the tires every 6 months. Cheap insurance when it comes to putting the safest connection between your loved ones and the road.