Surviving a violent snow squall and the lessons I learned
Snow squalls can catch drivers off guard. Here are some tips to help you navigate through some of Canada's harshest winter conditions.
The snow curled around the car, carried by winds that were moving with hurricane force and speed. That meant that seeing the end of the hood was a project in futility. The lights in the parking lot of the big box store in Fort Erie looked like balls of fire atop tall spires as the snow streamed past them.
The night was December 23rd, 2022, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be home for Christmas thanks to one of the most violent snow squall events I’d ever been through. Even worse, there was no hotel I could get to, no restaurant was open, and the only spot I could find with any sort of shelter was the parking lot of a big box store. The wind howled across the lot, clearing the pavement of all snow and then dumping it into the street that led down the centre of the town.
Getting out was not an option, and it became increasingly clear that I was going to be spending the night in the car, in the parking lot, while being rocked to sleep by the hurricane-force winds battering the car.
Lucky for me, I was well prepared, as I suspected that this might be the exact scenario I’d be in before I headed to the town of Fort Erie, Ont. My car was packed with a variety of equipment that I think almost anyone driving in the winter should also have.
Let’s go through them:
1. Extra winter clothing.
Winter jackets – I carry two extra parkas but one spare jacket should be enough for most people, especially if you’re only driving in the city
Snow pants – useful to keep your legs warm if you have to leave the car for any reason
Winter boots – essential if you have to walk through almost any amount of snow. Just note that driving with them on is not a good idea as bulky boots can interfere with the hitting the gas and brake pedals.
Extra gloves, scarf, and hats – good for anything and gloves can get wet so having extra pairs is always useful.
2. Shovel. Good for digging the wheels out of snow drifts. I have a small garden shovel tucked in and I’ve used it many times, not only for myself. I’ve helped dig out dozens of cars stuck in the snow much to the grateful thanks of their drivers.
3. Snow brush. I have two in the car.
4. First Aid kit. Useful at any time of the year!
5. Food and water. Critical if you get stuck in the car like I did.
6. Traction aids. I have a small bag of kitty litter and a short length of wood to jam under the tires.
7. Booster cables. These should always be in the car, summer or winter!
8. Warm blanket. I have two sleeping bags, one that can handle full Arctic cold, but that’s likely well beyond what most people may need.
9. Paper or regular towels. Snow getting inside the car will melt and having a way to dry up is always good.
10. Cell phone and charger. You will want a way to contact either family or authorities if you do get stuck.
11. A candle and lighter. A small candle can keep the inside of a car above freezing without the danger of carbon monoxide from keeping the car running.
My Mitsubishi Outlander equipped with all the essentials for squall chasing. (The Weather Network)
A few things I’ve learned being stuck in the snow more than once:
Don’t panic! If you do get into trouble such as sliding off the road, keeping a clear head is essential to ensuring that you don’t get into a worse situation. For example, when I accidentally slid into a ditch in Orillia, Ont., this winter, I didn’t try to drive out of the ditch (likely getting myself stuck worse). I just accepted the situation and immediately called CAA and it was simple for them to get me out.
Stay with the car. Getting out and trying to get to house or another shelter if you’re in full whiteout conditions can be deadly. Staying in the car can keep you safe. Keep warm using a candle is possible, but another way is running the engine for a few minutes every 15 min or so, but make sure that the exhaust isn’t getting buried in snow.
Be prepared before you go anywhere. Even a quick trip to the grocery store can be a problem if you end up in a ditch or stuck in a snowbank. Having safety equipment in the car already can change a huge problem into a minor inconvenience.
On that Christmas Eve of 2022, I’d managed to get the car up to the bridge that overlooks the QEW in Fort Erie late on the 24th after spending a surprisingly comfortable overnight inside a popular Canadian retail store (a story for another time), and I knew that I’d end up spending the night watching the highway for the plows that I knew had to come.
I curled up inside two sleeping bags and a parka in the driver’s seat because sitting on top of a bridge meant zero shelter from the wind blast, and the icy winds reduced any warmth inside the car to oblivion in short order. All I could do was hunker down and hope that the plows would get through when the snow stopped falling.
When it finally did stop falling around 3:00 am, the strobing blue light of a herd of plows thundering down the QEW towards me was nothing short of a miracle. The wall of snow blasting onto the shoulder as the plows swept up the ramp of my bridge made me forgive every plow operator that’s ever dumped a pile of snow at the base of my freshly shovelled driveway. I threw off my sleeping bags, started the car up, and pulled in behind the conga line of plows as they rumbled back down the highway on their way back towards Niagara Falls.
I arrived home on Christmas morning at 5:30 am to a wildly enthusiastic dog and nearly as enthusiastic daughter whom I made go back to bed until 9:30.
She still hasn’t forgiven me.
