Before You Touch the Gas, Size Up the Situation
The first move is to stop and look before you do anything else. Spinning the tires the moment you feel stuck only polishes the snow into ice and digs you in deeper, so take a minute to see what you are dealing with. Check how deep the snow is, whether the car is resting on its frame, and what is around you.
One step here is genuinely a safety issue, not just a convenience: clear the snow away from your tailpipe before you run the engine. The CDC warns that a tailpipe packed with snow lets carbon monoxide, an odorless and deadly gas, build up quickly inside the car and poison anyone inside. Clear the exhaust, brush the snow off the hood and windows so you can see, and keep a window cracked while you work.
Clear a Path and Add Traction
Once you have looked things over, dig out room for the tires to move and give them something to grip. A few minutes of prep beats ten minutes of spinning:
- Shovel the snow from in front of and behind each drive wheel, and clear any snow packed under the car so you are not high-centered on it.
- Spread sand, kitty litter, gravel, or even your floor mats and a bit of cardboard right up against the drive tires for grip.
- Straighten your wheels so the front tires roll forward instead of plowing sideways into more snow.
If your car lets you switch off traction control, do it before you try to move. It normally cuts power when it senses a slip, which is the opposite of what you want when you need the wheels to turn steadily.
Use the Rocking Method — Gently
Rocking the car back and forth builds the momentum that carries it out. Ease gently into drive to roll forward as far as you can, then shift to reverse and roll back, and repeat, letting the car build a little more swing each time. Light, steady throttle is the key — flooring it just spins the tires and can overheat your transmission.
When you feel the car climb toward solid ground, keep moving smoothly until you are fully clear and back on a plowed surface, then stop somewhere safe to knock the snow off. If a few rounds of rocking are not making progress, stop before you dig in further or burn out a part, because more spinning rarely turns into success.
When to Stop and Call for a Winch-Out
Some situations are not worth fighting on your own. If the car has slid into a ditch, is high-centered on packed snow, sits on sheer ice, or simply will not move after a few honest tries, that is the moment to call for help rather than risk damaging the car or hurting yourself.
A winch‒out uses a cable and proper anchor points to pull your vehicle free the safe way, and a crew that handles snow and ice recovery does this all winter long. Tell the dispatcher where you are and how the car is stuck, and they will bring the right equipment.
If You Get Stranded, Stay Safe
If you are stuck somewhere remote or the weather turns bad while you wait, stay with your vehicle. NHTSA advises staying with the car so it can shelter you and rescuers can find you, keeping it visible with bright markers and the dome light, and not overexerting yourself trying to dig out.
To stay warm, run the engine only sporadically, just long enough to take off the chill, and only after you have confirmed the tailpipe is clear of snow. That single habit is what prevents carbon monoxide from building up in the cabin while you wait for a crew to reach you.
Getting Unstuck in Cuyahoga Falls and Summit County
Ohio winters bury plenty of cars every year, from unplowed side streets to icy hills around Cuyahoga Falls, Akron, Stow, and Kent. A local crew that works Summit County snow all season can reach you quickly and pull you out without adding new damage, whether you are stuck at the bottom of a driveway or off the shoulder of an icy road.
Try the steps above first, and if the car will not come free, reach out for snow and ice recovery around the clock. For the everyday winter problems that come with the cold, like a dead battery, our roadside assistance guide covers what to expect.