Winter Car PrepParking in Winter: The Mistakes That Leave You Stuck
A careless parking spot in winter means digging out in the morning — or a car buried by the plow.
You parked in a hurry last night, it snowed overnight, and now your car is buried behind a wall of plow snow, sitting in a frozen puddle, facing a drift you can't drive through. Where you park in winter matters as much as how you drive. A few seconds of thought when you park saves an hour of digging in the morning — and sometimes saves the car itself.
Why it's wrong
The classic mistakes are all about not thinking ahead. Parking in a low spot means meltwater pools around your tires and refreezes overnight, locking the car in ice up to the rims. Parking tight against a snowbank leaves no room to open the doors or get a shovel in. Parking on the street on a plow route means waking up to a wall of packed snow the plow pushed against your car — sometimes deep enough to bury the doors. And nosing into a spot means reversing out through unplowed snow in the morning, which is the hardest direction to escape from. Every one of these is a choice made the night before, paid for in the morning.
The right way
- Park facing out whenever you can. Back into the spot so you drive forward out in the morning. Forward is easier than reverse on snow, and you can see where you're going.
- Avoid low spots and puddles. Water that pools at night freezes by morning. Pick the higher ground, even if it's a slightly longer walk.
- Leave room around the car. Don't park tight against snowbanks, walls, or other cars. You need space to open the doors and to shovel around the tires.
- Know your plow route. If the street gets plowed overnight, park on the side that gets cleared first, or off the street entirely. Check your city's winter parking rules — some streets ban overnight parking during snow events, and the ticket is the least of it.
- Don't park over deep snow. Snow packed under the car melts from the engine heat, then refreezes around the exhaust and underbody. Park on cleared ground when you can.
- Keep the exhaust clear. If you run the engine to warm up while parked, make sure the tailpipe isn't buried in snow — a blocked exhaust pushes carbon monoxide into the cabin.
- Leave the wipers up if snow is forecast. It takes two seconds and saves frozen blades in the morning.
The rundown
Face out, park high and clear, leave room to work, and stay off the plow's path. Parking is the easiest part of winter driving — it just takes ten seconds of thinking ahead. Your morning self will thank you.