How To Get Your Car Unstuck From Snow

Whether a snowplow has trapped your car in a wall of snow, or you find your car stuck in snow on a hill, moving a car in winter weather just takes a few steps, patience, and determination. O’Reilly Auto Parts has compiled a list of helpful tips to get your vehicle out of the snow and back onto the road safely.

Unblock Your Exhaust

Ensuring that your exhaust pipe is not filled with or blocked by snow is a crucial step to getting your vehicle unstuck safely. A clogged tailpipe can cause carbon monoxide to back up into your vehicle’s cabin, and this could pose a serious health concern if inhaled. Since CO is undetectable by smell and is generally invisible to the naked eye, it is important to exit your vehicle and inspect the exhaust pipe.

If you notice snow is packed within the pipe, or if there is not adequate room between the pipe outlet and the snow, it should be freed from any blockages using a small snow shovel or your hands if necessary. Snow can also cause exhaust back pressure that could cause your engine to stall, though in most cases it will melt as the exhaust system heats up. In extreme climates or deep snow, the heat from the exhaust system may not reach the pipe outlet until it is too late, so always be sure that your exhaust pipe is cleared to prevent these potential problems.

Dig Out Snow and Ice Patches

The next step is to remove snow from behind, around, and in front of your drive wheels, meaning the wheels that receive power from the engine to move your vehicle. Knowing whether your vehicle is front-wheel, rear-wheel, four-wheel, or all-wheel drive will help dictate where you should focus your initial snow removal. Once you’ve identified which direction you want your car to move, you should start clearing a path in the snow to make it easier for your wheels to roll.

Use a compact hand or snow shovel, or even your hands while wearing insulating or winter gloves, to remove the snow and ice chunks that surround the body of your vehicle and the tires. Depending on how much snow there is, the process of digging your car out of snow could take from a few minutes up to a few hours. It is also recommended that you keep a path clear that leads to your driver’s side door to help you access your vehicle. Discarding snow and ice away from the potential paths of you or others can also help keep you moving around the vehicle safely.

In some cases, especially if you’ve parked on snow that has compacted and frozen, it may be necessary to also remove snow and ice from under your tires. If you are unable to remove all of the snow and ice from under your tires, the heat from your tires can melt the snow, which can then refreeze under the tire or on the tire and can cause the car to slowly slide if left parked on an incline.

Try Clearing A Path By Driving

Now that the vehicle’s tires are free from the snow, step inside the cabin and start your engine. If you can’t unlock your car because the car door lock is frozen, try using emergency hand heaters or a door lock de-icer to melt the ice so you can insert and turn your key. If your vehicle’s battery dies during this process, read our article on how to jump start a car battery to help get you back on the road safely.

Before moving your vehicle, it’s a good idea to walk around the front of it to ensure there is nothing in your path. Once you are inside and the vehicle is started, put it in gear. Drive forward a few feet, stop, and then without turning the wheel, shift into Reverse to drive back over your initial tracks. This may take a bit of experimentation and varying throttle pressure. Be sure to let off the gas if your wheels are spinning. Not only could this cause wear to your tires and transmission, but it may also melt the snow, which can quickly turn into ice that would make getting unstuck even more complicated.

Try accelerating your vehicle to the top of a snow mound, apply the brakes, and then put it into reverse once the wheels have stopped spinning and the RPMs are low. There is a fine balance between brake and throttle, but the main goal is to safely find enough momentum to drive out of the rut. You should repeat this process of rocking your vehicle forward and backward to help compact the snow and get you over a subsequent snow wall or blockage. If possible, clearing a path through the snow using this method can be a simple way to get your vehicle unstuck. It’s important to note that front-wheel drive vehicles may have an easier time clearing some snow mounds, since the front tires can help throw excess snow to the back while the vehicle moves forward.

Use Snow Traction Devices

If the ground is too slick, your tires have iced over, or you otherwise can’t maintain enough grip to move the vehicle, you can add materials to provide traction between the tires and the ground to get better traction in snow. Whether you use a set of tire chains, sand, salt, a thick cloth or blanket, or even kitty litter, creating a gritty or grippable surface for the tires is critical to freeing your vehicle. For extremely icy conditions, road salt or de-icers are a great solution since they can help melt ice. Items like wooden boards can be used for softer snow, but should be handled with care, since they can be easily thrown backwards by the wheels. Be sure to sprinkle any sand or gritty traction solution directly behind and in front of the drive wheels, since this can help tires gain a better grip when driving over ice or snow.

You may see the ABS light on your dashboard turn on, which is normal due to the conditions. If your vehicle is equipped with Traction Control, turning this feature off can help reduce torque to make getting unstuck easier. If your vehicle has Winter Mode or four-wheel drive, this is a great time to engage these features.

Once you’ve installed tire chains, sprinkled a traction alternative near the tires, or safely lodged a blanket or piece of wood behind a tire, apply an even amount of pressure on the accelerator pedal. If the vehicle begins slipping, be patient, and keep trying to accelerate evenly and slowly without spinning the tires unnecessarily. If you accelerate too much and gain traction, your vehicle could end up in the street, or could strike a tree, other vehicles, your home, or other things nearby. Remain vigilant of your surroundings when removing your vehicle from the snow to limit the risk of damage to property or injury to those that may be nearby.

Who to Call When You Are Still Stuck in Snow

If driving over the snow didn’t work, or if there is simply too much snow to drive through, the next step of getting your car unstuck is to manually rock the vehicle. Try to find others that are able and willing to help, since a combination of physical strength and driving maneuvers can be used as a solution. It goes without saying that you should be very cautious when attempting this, as any misstep or lack of awareness could cause severe injury to you or the others helping you get your car unstuck from snow.

In some instances, it may be best to call a tow truck to fully remove your vehicle from the snow. Tow companies are better equipped than any motorist to help you free your car, and may be necessary to ensure your safety if your car is stuck on the road or in a ditch. Some car insurance policies will help pay for the tow to get you out of the snow, so make sure and call your auto insurance provider and discuss your options if you can do so safely from where your vehicle is stuck. Above all, it is important to stay calm and do your best to keep warm and dry to be certain you can get you and your car back on the road safely.

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