Jan 17, 2025 - Energy & Climate
7 snow driving tips from an upstate New Yorker
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Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
With winter storms bringing snow and ice to areas that don't often get much powder, it's a good opportunity for a refresher on how to drive in the slick stuff without wrecking.
Here are seven snow driving tips from me, an upstate New Yorker who once thought it would be a good idea to circumnavigate Iceland in March (fun drive!):
- Don't. If your city is ill-equipped to clear the roads and local drivers don't know what they're doing, stay home as best you can. Get the bread and milk, prep for potential power outages, and find your coziest blankets ahead of time.
- Clear your car. If you have to go out, clear the ice and snow off your car first. Don't just do the windows — get the roof, hood, headlights, etc. You don't want chunks of snow flying off your car into the people behind you.
- Pack emergency gear. Consider water, blankets, a flashlight or headlamp, etc. Make sure your phone is charged before you go out, and if you have AAA or other roadside service, put the number in your favorite contacts for easy access.
- Take it slow. This isn't the time to set land speed records. Give yourself way more time than usual to slow down and make turns. Use your car's AWD/4WD, traction control, and/or "snow mode," if so equipped. Keep your lights and hazards on to stay visible if it's actively snowing.
- SUVs aren't invincible. Sure, AWD makes life a little easier. But trucks can give you a false sense of security, especially if you're not rolling snow tires. Don't do 75 just because you're in a suburban tank.
- Turn into the skid. Your dad was right: turning into the direction of your skid gives you a better chance of regaining traction, and thus control. Turn the other way, and you're entirely at the mercy of physics.
- Bring kitty litter. Sounds weird, I know. But if you get stuck in snow or ice, spreading a little cat litter just in front of and behind your tires can give you that oh-so-essential first bit of traction to get moving again. (I bailed out a family of New Zealanders this way on that Iceland trip.)
The bottom line: By far the biggest risk out there — other drivers. Stay frosty and give people time and space to be dumb.
