HOW TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW (and what to do if you can’t)
words by Avery Carlson, art by Sneha Lakamsani
You reach over the bed to silence the ringing alarm. Stretch, yawn, rub the eyes—the usual. You shiver a bit as you open your window to see 4.5 inches of freshly fallen snow, a soft smile appears as you turn to go change and get ready for the day. With the snow you notice how quiet and calm the world is; even if birds are chirping their sound is dampened by the snow. This situation is a touch unsettling, but there is some joy in knowing it is a crisp, untouched world to explore.
Breakfast: the fridge light illuminates a face whose smile is quickly zapped away by an empty top shelf—the eggs are gone. The breakfast essentials!
You must go to the store…. You grab your keys and a coat, shuffle on some slippers and open your front door to the virgin snow.
Right. The snow. Which you haven’t driven in since you were 16, just after getting your license, and you remember that not ending too well. Something about calling dad, maybe a tow truck…
You turn to your second glowing box of light for the day: your phone. You punch some quick shaky words into the keyboard and click on a random webpage:
—
HOW TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW (and what to do if you can’t)
Authored by Avery Carlson
Last Updated: February 22nd, 2025
#snowstorm #driving #drivinginstruction #slowandsteady #4wheeldrive4life #lifeadvice #trusttheprocess #safety #winterweather #ABDTBAW
It is a scary thought. Your palms are probably sweaty and you shiver as you get behind the wheel, perhaps waiting for the car to warm up. You may be thinking of the snow as a hindrance, most people don’t enjoy the cold. You see your breath within that oh so heavy metal box. But, this will be a quick, and hopefully helpful, guide to teach you to conquer the unknown! But you must be paying attention: read this article ALL THE WAY THROUGH before taking off that parking brake.
Step 1: Do it SCARED!
You’ve decided you need to do it. And what better way to learn than through doing? That probably sounds insane (since you clicked on this webpage) but the snow isn’t going to wait for you, and it appears you don’t have time to wait for it!
Step 2: Prepare yourself…to not meet your doom :)
a. TIME
Don’t worry, you’re in safe hands. From someone who themselves has slipped numerous times, nearly crashed into trees and pedestrians, and been just as terrified as you might be now—it will be okay. BUT it is essential you give yourself enough time.
Snow is no joke, as I’ve clearly demonstrated through my driving experiences. Especially as a first time snow driver it is important that you do not rush. Snow is just cold water right? Even though it's just sitting there, it can be as dangerous and hard to navigate as a raging rapid. You must give yourself time in case you get yourself caught in an eddy, or if you plan on driving only 5mph, which, no one would blame you!
b. Clear off your car
If it has just snowed, your car is most likely covered in a nice white blanket. However, just as you had to get out of your covers this frosty morning, you have to uncover your car as well. If you don’t have a snow brush I’ve seen people get quite creative: brooms, towels, swiffers, mops, children. If worst comes to worst put on a good coat and gloves and go at it with your arms and hands. It is very important that you can see out of your windows and that your roof is clear. If you brake or accelerate too hard, that pile of snow can land on your hood–blocking your view again. Or it can land on a car behind you—blocking their view.
c. Clear your mind
While you are checking your calendar to ensure you have enough time in your oh so busy schedule that seems to plague us all these days, take a step back and remember to breathe. Doing anything too tense is just a recipe for disaster. While this may seem counterintuitive from Step 1, a little fear can be productive and help keep you safe, but outright terror is not going to cut it. If you are outright terrified your breakfast might have to wait. Patience and a level head are not only key but could be life-saving.
If you have a clear enough mind to take the bull by the horns, by all means grab those jangly keys! A little anxiety or fear can be healthy—it is there to keep you safe. But make sure that you can relax. If you find yourself in a situation, you want to be able to guide the car—not just subject yourself to the elements–and this is not something you can do while death gripping the wheel. I’ll explain this when we get into risks in Step 5.
Step 3: CONGRATULATIONS! You should have made it into your car.
DO NOT DRIVE YET! Let your car warm up. Just as you have prepared, you have to take care of the vehicle getting you from A to B! An important way to do this is to let it warm up and give it time as well.
While you are waiting, get back out of the car, check for ice; if you’re on a slope note the things at the bottom of your driveway or in the street—make sure you don’t hit anything. If you can change your surroundings to prevent damage, do so! Don’t be dumb when playing with large investments like your car and your life.
Now that it's been a few minutes, you might be able to feel or hear when the engine turns from a roar into a purr. You have tamed the beast!
Now let’s get into a quick recap:
- You’ve given yourself time.
- You’ve given yourself a calm (as you can) mental space.
- Your car is warmed up and ready to go.
- You’ve checked your surroundings and you appear safe.
Remember: take it slow. No shame in going 5mph until you get your bearings.
Step 4: IF ALL ELSE FAILS
You must know these three main things.
Stay ATTENTIVE (or, CONSTANT VIGILANCE if you’re a Potterhead)
NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS
TAP THE BRAKES
When I say tap the brakes, it is moving forward inches—no, centimeters. Your foot mostly stays on the brake itself, lifting slightly to allow forward movement. You should not be touching the gas unless you are facing upwards on a hill and gravity is working against you.
As I said before, snow is not your friend. It is that seething river or a crouching tiger–a cat you have NOT tamed will jump on you when you turn your back.
Additionally, if you make a sudden, unpredictable movement, it will also pounce. Don’t give it the power and take your time. Slow, carefully measured movements are safest. This is accomplished through “no sudden movements” and “tap the brakes”.
This is short and sweet to make an impact: know ^these^ three things.
Step 5: Situations you may find yourself in…
Here are a few situations you may find yourself in and what to do to get out of them:
If you slip, turn into the slip
Again, you must be relaxed and go with the turn. I slipped going downhill once—my front tires went to the left instead of straight and the back of my car started to slide downhill first—a consequence of slamming instead of tapping the brakes. It was scary but my mistake was in turning the wheel to the right—I tried turning against the slip and forcing the car back onto the road. A strange sound came from below me and I felt a ball of ice in my stomach. I knew this wouldn’t work so then I turned my wheel to the left—into the slip—and it was magic. I was able to stop and take a moment to decide my next move.
Give others space
If someone else slips, you do NOT want to be behind them when they do. Make sure that you stay a respectable distance from others—at least eight seconds is a good rule of thumb.
Beware of black ice
Black ice is ice that is transparent—you won’t see it coming. It is hard to prepare but following the tips from Step 4 will help you if you do encounter it.
Hills
Step 5B will be extended here—on hills give people a lot more space. If possible, give them the whole hill before you charge up after them or follow them down.
As for parking on hills, turn your wheels into the curb in case it is slippery. So if you are parked downhill with the curb to the right, turn the wheel to the right. If you are parked uphill with the curb to the right, turn the wheel to the left. If the car rolls, you just want it going into the curb. For parking in general: do not park on ice. Please.
Stop earlier than you KNOW you need to
Inching forward is miles better than just blowing through a red out of control
If you get stuck anywhere…
Sometimes you need someone to give you a push. Call a friend, put it in neutral, and push it out safely. Do NOT stand downhill to a car!
Sometimes you need to wait for the ice to melt. In most cases, you don’t have this time. But if you can, sit and laugh it off–release any tension. If you’re mentally stuck, pull over and wait it out.
You can always bail. There is no shame in wanting to get on with your day. Just make sure you are safe.
If you encounter any of these, it is a challenge you are now equipped to navigate. If you conquer it successfully you have overcome a great challenge–it has made you stronger. If you do not, at least you have learned from the experience and can approach it differently next time.
Step 6: Other preventative measures
If you’re still worried there are a few tools you can get to help you out:
Chains
4 wheel drive
They’re a bit of an investment so I’ll let you look it up on your own time.
Step 7: action
Yes, this is lowercase but still important. It is lowercase to remind you to take time. This is not to be rushed or thought of as trivial—it is your life and your breakfast.
While you may not have direct control at all times in this situation, you can learn to sit with this discomfort and push yourself through. Not everything in life will be a piece of cake handed to you on a silver platter. Like the silence you found in the morning with the snow, it may be unsettling–but you still had a smile. Everything is temporary and you can find comfort in that–the snow will melt, the birds will sing again, and if you get stuck in a snowbank, trust that you won’t be trapped in negative feelings of panic or fear forever.
Now it's time to put that phone away and gradually ease off the brake.
—
The sound of eggs crackling and a warm cup of tea between your palms brings back your smile. You’ve just come back from the grocery store and you see your two sets of tracks in the driveway and the road: marking your comings and goings.
You slipped once and were worried about parking on top of snow, but each time you kept your level head and made it through—your tracks a testament to your journey.
You exhale as you settle back into a calm, peaceful morning. The day has already warmed up, and while you still can’t see any of the ground due to the piles snow, you can see some snow plows out on the roads, other people starting to get their own cars out, and a bird flies past your window making space on the snow covered trees outside your kitchen window.
