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The definition of a blizzard is a winter storm that last for three hours or longer. The speed in which such a winter storm presents itself can be mind blowing and has the capability to leave you trapped your car for hours. Knowing how to treat such a situation can make the difference between life and death for you. By following these proven steps, your chance of living is greatly increased as you wait for rescue from the storm.
Keep the Hazard lights flashing.
By keeping the hazard lights flashing, the car will be noticed easier. In the occurance of a blizzard, everything is white. Flashing lights could be the only sign of life for a rescuer or another possible victim of the blizzard to spot out amongst all the white. Hazard lights don’t drain the battery, either. Run the heater. After every hour, crank the car and let the heater run. Be sure to crack the windows to prevent any carbon monoxide poisoning. This will provide some heat and a little time to listen to the radio for any information on the storm. Also, it gives your battery a chance to fire up. Most gel batteries will freeze up if they are not used for a long period of time in such frigid conditions.
Exercise.
Don’t get an extreme cardio workout in, but do try to move around lightly. This will warm your body up by getting your blood pumping and give you something to do to eliminate the extreme boredom.
Insulate yourself.
Anything paper or cloth serves as good insulation. Focus mainly on keeping your core temperature up by using clothing, seat covers, and any paper you can find to wrap around yourself. If anyone else is in the car with you, get friendly! The closer you are to one another, the better you’ll stay warm. Once the body heat in your core area is lost, you start to loose overall bodily function. Your ability to properly move diminishes first and, after time, you basically freeze to death.
Keep hope.
Hopelessness has been known to force people to make mistakes that result fatally. The best thing to do is stay positive. Depending on your location and the severity of the storm, you may be found within hours. The worst thing that could be done in a situation like this is to get out of the vehicle and look for help. Unless you see a house in plain sight, stay in the car and keep hope alive! Hopefully, you have enough sense not to drive during a winter storm.
Should you be an unlucky person that gets caught on the by the swiftness of such a winter storm, following these steps should keep you alive long enough to be rescued.