How to Dig Out a Car After a Snow Storm

There's nothing worse than looking out the window as you're getting blasted by a couple of feet of snow and realizing that your car is buried under a white mountain. Well after the heavy snow fall subsides, here are some tips on how to dig your car out after a snow storm.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Winter clothes
• Shovel
• Scraper
• Car packed in snow

1. Dress properly for the weather. Digging your car out after a snow storm is going to take a while. Don't just run outside quickly in jeans and a sweatshirt and think it will suffice. Wear a winter coat, gloves and a hat. If the snow pack is really deep, make sure you have boots with good rubber soles and snow pants on as well.
2. Scrape around the driver's side door so that you can access the key hole. Or if you have an automatic lock, unlock the car. Using a scraper, brush away any snow and enter the vehicle.
3. Start the car and put both the front and rear dehumidifiers on. The heat from the engine as well as the dehumidifiers will help melt the snow on the car making it easier to brush away. By doing this first before digging, you're making your job much easier.
4. Shovel the snow from around each tire. Focus on the tires which propel your car. You can check the owner's manual to see if your car is front or rear wheel drive. By clearing those away, you'll be able to move your car and other wheels over the snow pack.
5. Make two paths the size of your wheels from underneath your tires all the way down the driveway. Rather than clearing the whole driveway, (which may take hours), simply provide a path for the wheels to travel on. It'll save you a bunch of time.
6. Brush and clear any remaining snow from your car's windows, hood, roof and trunk. Now that the car has been running for a while, the snow will just about slide off.
7. Hop in your car and slowly pull out of the driveway. Remember that there might be quite a bit of ice under the snow. Drive at a very slow speed until you get out of your driveway and onto the roads, which have been salted and sanded by your city or town.

Tips & Warnings

• Gas stations sell a de-icing solution that will help you dig out after a snow storm. Consider salting or sanding your driveway before you pull your car out. This will not only aid in the melting of snow and ice, but give you some much needed traction as well.
• Place a dry piece of plywood under the wheels of your car. In an icy situation, this piece of plywood will give your wheels something to grab onto and stop the tires from spinning.
• If you have a front wheel drive car, keep a bag of sand in the trunk. The bag of sand (which should weigh at least 50 pounds) will help keep your car from slipping and sliding as you drive up snowy and icy hills.
• Leave your car unlocked if you know a heavy snow fall is about to occur. This will stop your locks from freezing. Also, if you need to get your key in an icy lock, try warming the key with a lighter first. This should help it slide in.

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