How to Survive a Blizzard in Your Vehicle

Snow, the mere utterance of the word in the Mid-Atlantic region magically causes bread and milk to disappear from grocery store shelves faster than modesty leaving a Kardashian household. Snow in the Mid-Atlantic region causes most people to forget how to drive, shuts the government down, and brings out more snow plows than you can shake a stick at.

So, what are we to do as over-landers and off-road enthusiasts? Well, for one we can shift our generally over-built beasts into four-wheel drive, lock the front and rear differentials, and hit the trails for some good ol’ fashioned winter fun. However, you need to be prepared before you hit the highways or backroads when snow is on the ground or forecasted. In fact, it’s a good idea to take a few extra steps at the beginning of the winter season to ensure that you and your loved ones are safe and sound and as snug as a bug in a rug in the event that you get stuck away from home on a highway or backroad in a blizzard. Remember even though you may be driving an unstoppable 20,000lb Terradyne RPV, if a highway is closed you may be stuck overnight in your vehicle and if you’re not prepared for that, you could be in for a very uncomfortable affair. For some getting stuck overnight on a highway away from important medicine or other resources could be a death sentence, like the 46 year-old gentleman who died during the blizzard of 2014 after being stranded in his vehicle.

So, what can you do to prepare yourself for winter’s fury and for the possibility of getting stuck far from home in your vehicle overnight? For the purposes of this article we’re going to assume that you have a go-bag in your vehicle. If you don’t have one…go put one together now…we’ll wait for you.

First, even though you have a go-bag in your vehicle (and one in each vehicle driven by a family member) make sure you add a few winter specific items to each bag. For my wife and me, we add a pair of Patagonia Capilene thermal base layer tops and bottoms to each of our bags. In addition, using my excellent eBay skills I’ve picked up two extra Patagonia fleece jackets and Arc’Teryx shells for us. It’s smart to go ahead and add in gloves and beanies, don’t assume that you will have those on. If you’re overly ambitious throw in a sleeping bag, a warm fleece blanket, or just be prepared to use your SOL Escape Emergency Bivvy (the one that’s packed in your go-bag).

Remember that you should have extra clothing for each member of the family in each vehicle. This prevents you from constantly having to move stuff from vehicle to vehicle (which you will undoubtedly forget to do) and will ensure if something happens you’re not trying to split clothing up between everyone in the vehicle. Have you ever tried to put on your wife’s gloves…it’s not pretty.

Next make sure you’re ready from a medical perspective, if you require any daily medication ensure that you keep a few days’ supply in your vehicle. This should be in addition to a well-stocked first-aid kit.

 

Now, let’s just pretend you’re Clark Griswold and you and your loved ones have set out to go cut down the perfect Christmas tree or you’re on your daily commute to DC from a Virginia suburb and one of the following has happened:

1. You’ve overestimated your driving abilities and your vehicles inclement weather capabilities (yes, you the Range Rover owner) and you’ve slid off the road in the middle of a snow-storm;
2. The highway has become jam-packed and you’re literally stuck in a winter traffic jam as the storm of the century comes crashing down on your with snow and sub-freezing temperatures; or
3. The Virginia State Police has shutdown the highway and there is literally nowhere for you to go and / or turnaround.

Now, these aren’t crazy events that take place in “The Day After Tomorrow”, rather these are real events that happen every year during winter and yet, somehow still catch people by surprise.

If you’ve found yourself in one of the above situations, the first thing to do is taken straight from Colonel John Boyd…’Observe’…well technically you’re already behind in the OODA Loop but, that’s a whole different article. None the less, this is the time to be situationally aware and put your powers of observation to good use:

1. Where are you (you’d be surprised how many people drive to work every day and have no idea where they are at any given time)?
2. What are the weather conditions?
3. What are the road conditions?
4. What condition are you in?
5. What condition is your vehicle in?

 

 

Once you’ve taken in all of the information around you and you’ve become situationally aware it’s time to start coming up with options, this is the ‘Orient’ in the OODA Loop. This is where you analyze what options you may have and then playing those options out in your brain to their conclusion.

1. Are there buildings nearby, are they open, can you walk to them safely, how long will it take you to walk to them, and is there a chance of being hurt on the way there?
2. Do you need to stay in your vehicle, is your vehicle in a safe location, can you safely stay in the vehicle, and how long can you stay safely in your vehicle?

I’ll say it again, it’s important to play each one of your options out in your mind to its conclusion. Not to get too deep into OODA Loop theory but, if you’re prepared for a winter event like this you should have already played out various scenarios in your mind.

For the purposes of this article, let’s assume you’ve: prepared your vehicle; your vehicle is in a safe location; the blizzard is only getting worse; and there is no help coming. Thus, you decide (the ‘D’ in the OODA Loop) to stay in your vehicle and weather out the storm until the roads are open or you are rescued by first responders. Now you must act (the ‘A’ in the OODA Loop).

First, you need to prepare your vehicle and the immediate surroundings of your vehicle. Shut-off your vehicle as you do not want to make the mistake of keeping your vehicle running, the risk of running out of fuel is high and at some point you are going to need to drive out of the situation. The horror stories we all hear about dying from CO2 inhalation due to a running car in a snow storm is an old wives tail. The exhaust system on a vehicle is sealed and your car would have to be pretty much parked in an igloo in order for CO2 to be introduced into the cabin either through a cracked window or the HVAC system. However, if you are driving a true junker with a leaky exhaust system and holes in the floorboard directly above that leaky exhaust system…you could be in for a world of hurt.

Having said that, make sure that you crack a window or a sunroof just enough to let fresh air in. You need to do this to ensure that you’re getting a good flow of air and that too much moisture is not condensating inside the vehicle. Remember I said a crack, not a fully opened window; think about a crack as thin as your pinky. Also, ensure that you are periodically opening and closing a door to your vehicle. You’re doing this to ensure that you do not become snowed in and likewise become trapped in your vehicle. By opening and closing the door you are creating an entrance and exit to your vehicle. Please don’t wait until there is three feet of snow piled against your door. If you’re stuck for a while this entrance / exit is going to be real handy. Why you may ask, well you will need a place to use the bathroom, perhaps whip up some hot chocolate on your Jetboil stove (you know the one in your go-bag), and of course stretch out. Place a tall device (antenna, off-road flag, etc.) at the rear of your vehicle. You want to create something that identifies where you are (for rescue) and prevents other vehicles or snowplows from hitting you.

Second, break out your supplies and inventory what you have. Make a plan based on the best information that you know…are you going to be stuck for a day, two days, or three days? In most parts of the US being stuck for more than a day or two is an extreme rarity. If you’re in your business or gym clothing now is the time to get bundled up, you want to ensure that you retain as much body heat as possible as quickly as possible. Get comfortable and break out the sleeping bag or blankets. If there are two of you or more, try to ensure that you get as close as possible to retain body heat (think back seat); this is obviously more fun if you’re stuck with your significant other vs. being stuck with your buddy. Make a plan to stay fed, hydrated, warm, and rested. While you may think a vehicle is going to stay warm, it’s not and you need to ensure that you’ve taken all the actions that you can to stay warm for an extended period of time.

Third, execute your plan. Stay calm, you’ve thought this through and prepared for it. Enjoy your time, read a book, talk about interesting things, play a game. Just remember that it’s important that while you execute your plan that you are constantly staying in the OODA Loop. Are conditions changing, are new options opening up, etc. Make sure you’re taking in your surroundings and constantly assessing what you need to be doing and if conditions change drastically, be prepared to act.

A couple of reminders:

1. Don’t wander off in blizzard conditions; you may become lost or disoriented just yards away due to decreased visibility (especially at night).
2. If you are forced from your vehicle, stick to the road you’re on.
3. Ensure someone knows where you are either through telephone, text, or email and update them regularly.

Enjoy the snow!

Some photo’s courtesy of: DailyMail and Sweet Home Politics