Chapter 14 · Extreme cold and snow
Stranded in your car during a blizzard
The rule is the same as in the desert: stay with the car, unless you know exactly where you are, how far away help is, and that walking improves your situation. Many people die from setting out on foot in the snow and getting lost a short distance away.
- Call for help (911) with your location: highway, direction, last junction or mile marker.
- Make yourself visible: hang a brightly colored cloth from the antenna or the window; if you have flares, light one at each end of the car at a safe distance. At night, turn on the interior light only when the engine is running, so you do not drain the battery.
- Check the exhaust: before starting the engine, make sure the tailpipe is not blocked by snow. Check it every time, because the snow keeps falling.
- Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes every hour, depending on how much fuel you have.
- Leave a window slightly open on the side away from the wind. Snow and ice can seal the car.
- Conserve heat: everyone together, blankets, extra clothing, car floor mats as insulation. Cover your head.
- Move a little: clap, move your arms and legs to circulate blood, without working up a sweat.
- Sleep in shifts: always keep someone awake watching the exhaust, the fuel, and whether help arrives.
- Drink fluids and eat something; the body needs energy to produce heat.
