The Complete Guide: How to Prepare for a Winter Road Trip
Written by Team Clearcover
Planning on hitting the road in the winter? Whether you’re headed with friends to the nearest skiing outpost or visiting family for the holidays, winter road trips can be incredibly fun, feeding your sense of adventure during colder months.
With a little preparation and know-how, you and your vehicle can confidently take on whatever a long winter drive might throw your way.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
What to do to make sure your car is ready for a winter road trip
Six vehicle preparation tips before you get out on the road
Winter weather safe driving info and how to drive on icy roads
Winter road trip essentials to always have on hand
6 Preparation Tips for Winter Road Trips
First things first—winter weather can get messy, icy, snowy, muddy, and potentially dangerous at times. But a little snow doesn’t have to stop you from planning a road trip during this time of year.
(However, when it comes to more extreme weather conditions, like storms and blizzards, you’re probably going to want to change those plans.)
With proper planning, you may be able to avoid tricky car troubles due to winter weather on your road trip.
Need some road trip route inspiration? Check out these iconic cross-country road trip routes.
Here are six essential vehicle maintenance tips to consider before your drive:
Replace worn wiper blades and refill wiper fluid.
Check your tire pressure and tire tread.
Fill up your gas tank or charge your electric car.
Check your oil (and get it changed if needed).
Have your vehicle’s HVAC system checked.
Make sure your car’s battery is running properly.
1) Refill Wiper Fluid and Replace Worn Wiper Blades
Ensure the wiper fluid in your vehicle can handle colder temperatures—the last thing you need after a pit stop is frozen fluid that prevents your blades from clearing salty streaks off your windshield.
You might consider freshening up your wiper blades. Functioning wiper blades are crucial to be able to drive in whatever weather your winter road trip sends your way.
How to Tell If Your Wiper Blades Need Replacing
If your wiper blades are cracked and worn, making strange sounds, or aren’t making good contact with your windshield, it’s time to get them replaced.
Are your current wiper blades specifically designed to perform through snow and ice? If not, then it’s a good idea to replace your blades with winter-specific ones before regular winter driving.
2) Check Tire Pressure and Tire Tread
Are your tires low on pressure? This can be pretty normal during colder months, so you’ll want to check your tire pressure before (and throughout) your winter road trip and fill them with air as needed.
Make sure to also check your tire tread routinely. If you need to, change to winter tires before your trip.
How to Use a Tire Gauge
To check your tire pressure, you can use a trusted gauge from a local auto parts store or, if you’re on the road, you might be able to find one at a gas station as well. Insert the gauge in the same stem you use to pump air into your tires. Check the PSI (or pounds per square inch) pressure reading and ensure it matches your car's model.
Using a tire gauge is pretty straightforward, but you do need to make sure your tires meetthe manufacturer’s recommended PSI levels. Check your car’s manual (or do a quick internet search) for guidance.
Ultimately, it's ideal to check your tire pressure before driving and three hours after driving.
How to Check Your Tire Tread
To check your tire tread before winter driving you can do the classic, tried-and-true penny test. Take a penny and insert it head-first into several different lines of the tread of your tires. Be sure to check all tires, especially if you didn't replace them all at the same time!
If you don't see the top of Lincoln's head on the penny, your tires have enough tread to keep going. The rule of thumb is that you need 2/32 of an inch of tread or more, which the penny helps measure. If you have less than that, it's likely time to replace your tires.
If you're unsure about the state of your tire tread, check with an auto shop before traveling.
3) Fill Up Your Gas Tank or Charge Your Electric Vehicle
It’s a no-brainer that a full gas tank is essential to start your road trip, but for winter road trips specifically, keeping a solid amount of gas in your car is even more important.
If you’re a risk-taker and love playing the “How far can I get with the gas alert light on?” game, it’s a smart idea to put that game on pause for your long drive. If you get stranded, lugging a gas can through the snow is not the most pleasurable experience. If your tank is starting to get low, it might be a good idea to look up where the next gas stations are along your route if there’s any risk access might be spotty.
If you have an electric vehicle (EV), make sure you leave it is a fully charged when you leave and pack your plug-in charger in case of an emergency. Plan your trip accordingly to make sure you can find EV charging stations along your route and/or can charge your car overnight. Don’t forget that colder weather generally leads to lower performance from your car’s battery as well.
Can Gas Freeze in the Cold Months of Winter?
No, gasoline does not freeze at normal outside winter temperatures—but your gas line can. The moisture in the air in your gas tank can freeze up and block the gas line.
To avoid your gas line freezing, keep your gas tank at least half full in cold temperatures, even while on the road.
4) Check Your Oil and Get an Oil Change if Necessary
It’s important to make sure you have enough oil before you start off on your winter road trip. Oil doesn’t typically freeze, but it can become thicker in colder temperatures and potentially flow slower through your vehicle’s engine.
How to Check Your Oil
Before you turn your car engine on, do a cold reading of your oil by opening the hood and pulling the dipstick out from your engine. Wipe it off with a paper towel, and then replace it and push it all the way down.
Pull the dipstick back out: If the oil is at a level that’s appropriate on the dipstick lines, you’re good to go. If not, top it off with additional oil before you leave for your trip. To top your oil off the right way, make sure to check with your manufacturer's guide or consult with a mechanic.
5) Have Your Heating and Cooling Systems Checked
Make sure your car’s HVAC system (essentially, your internal temperature control) is in working order. Do you have heat? Is it sufficient? You can do a quick check yourself, but if anything seems even slightly out of whack, it’s a good idea to have it looked at by a professional before you drive long distances in winter weather.
How To Know if Your Heating and Cooling Systems Need a Fix
If you notice that your car’s HVAC produces strange smells or noises when it’s turned on (or no heat at all), you’ve likely got a problem.
If your car heater is on the fritz, the two most common causes are:
Thermostat trouble, or
Low antifreeze or coolant
Check your vehicle's manual to understand the correct fluid levels, and if antifreeze or coolant is low. If you want a professional opinion, you may consider taking your car into the shop for a check-up on the thermostat.
If the thermostat is malfunctioning, that's a bigger issue (and safety concern), because a bad thermostat could cause your engine to overheat. If this is happening, go to your local mechanic right away.
6) Ensure Your Battery Is Running Properly
Colder weather can cause battery issues. Before you head out on the road, make sure your battery is in good shape for a long trip.
In colder weather, it’s a good idea to have jumper cables in your car, especially if you've had battery troubles before and have a long winter road trip ahead.
Tips for Checking Your Battery
Signs you might need a new battery include:
A slow start to your car on colder days
The battery check light is signaling in your vehicle
You notice signs of corrosion on the battery itself (if you lift up the hood and see white, green, or brown residue on the battery’s terminals, it’s likely you’ve got some corrosion)
If your car is having trouble starting due to the cold (which can be pretty common in winter), attempt to start it multiple times. Repeat your attempts (counting to 10 each time, if you’re using a key to start) until the engine turns over, and let your engine run for 15-20 minutes before going on your way.
If it's still not starting, get a jump from a fellow driver, neighbor, or roadside assistance if it is included in your coverage. (If you have roadside assistance with Clearcover, you can request roadside assistance whenever you need it with a few taps in the app.)
If you have any of these issues, make sure you replace your battery before your road trip.
Winter Weather Driving Tips
Once you've prepped your vehicle for your winter trip, here are some simple winter weather driving tips to get you to your destination without a hitch.
Do NOT warm up the car in the garage! Not only is it not truly necessary to get your car “ready” for a winter drive by warming it up, but it also increases emissions and wastes fuel and can be a safety issue. A running vehicle gives off carbon monoxide, so it's a serious safety issue to warm up your car in a closed garage or enclosed space.
Remove snow and ice from all mirrors, windows, cameras, and sensors. Make sure you always have maximum visibility. It may not be your favorite task to scrape off every bit of ice and snow in the freezing cold, but it's crucial for safe driving. In some states, there are laws in place that require drivers to completely clear a vehicle of snow and ice before driving in it, since lingering snow can fall off and hit other cars on the road.
Check the weather and time your drive accordingly when possible. If you know when snow is predicted to stop or ease up and have some wiggle room in your schedule, consider adjusting your drive to a time when you’re likely to have greater visibility. And if you're going on a winter road trip, do a bit of research ahead of time: Are there routes you could take that would be less hazardous than others? Could you time your departure to be before or after the risk of a snowstorm?
Love cruise control? Avoid it during winter weather conditions. If there's a chance of ice or snow on the roads, don't use cruise control. You'll need to have full control over your speed to adjust to the complexities of winter driving. Keep to slower speeds and don't accelerate or decelerate rapidly in winter weather, especially if there is any chance that ice is present.
In bad winter weather, or when there’s a chance of ice, increase the space between you and other vehicles and reduce your speed. It might be super sunny out, but if temps are incredibly cold, there still may be black ice on the road. (Learn more about black ice safety tips and how to spot them in our article here.)
If a winter storm has recently passed through, or you're currently in a storm, increase the space between yourself and other cars to allow yourself plenty of time to safely react in the event that you, or one of your fellow drivers, hit a patch of ice.
If you encounter bad winter weather on your road trip, it can give you peace of mind to know that yes, car insurance can cover storm damage (depending on the coverages you have on your policy). Make sure you have the right car insurance coverages to cover you in a variety of situations before you hit the road.
How to Drive on Icy Roads
First, if you can avoid driving on icy roads, you absolutely should! However, that’s obviously not always an option. If you do have to drive in icy conditions, there are a couple of tips you should follow in addition to the winter driving tips listed above:
If you hit an icy patch, resist slamming on your brakes and avoid sudden acceleration or turning your steering wheel. For more safety tips for icy drives, read 5 Essential Safety Tips for Driving on Black Ice.
Drive slowly and don't stop if you can legally avoid it (especially uphill).
Do not stop when going up an icy hill (your car could slide backward) and do not accelerate aggressively (you could lose control and spin your wheels).
Overall, if you choose to drive on icy roads or encounter icy conditions you weren't expecting, stay alert and aware.
If you’re in a particularly challenging situation, it may be helpful to turn off any additional distractions (even your music) to have clearer concentration.
Driving on an icy road is challenging, but the task can bring out the best driver in you if you move forward with caution and care.
Winter Road Trip Checklist
Before you have your bags packed and all your favorite podcasts loaded up for your road trip, you should think through what you’ll need to bring with you in your vehicle as you take on winter roads.
Keep the following items with you in your car in case you encounter any weather or vehicles issues:
Basic first aid supplies (including any medications you or your passengers might need)
Flares
Flashlights with fresh batteries
Spare warm clothing
Duct tape
A multi-use knife
Thermal blankets
Extra cell phone batteries, chargers, or portable chargers/power packs
Basic tools, including a screwdriver, wrench, small shovel, and ice scraper
Snacks and bottled water
Jumper cables
Air compressor
Before Starting Your Winter Road Trip, Get Insured by Clearcover
Planning ahead for your winter drive is key for a fun, successful, stress-free road trip.
And having the right car insurance in place (before you even leave your driveway) can help you feel safer on the road, knowing you’re properly protected.
With Clearcover, you’ll get car insurance that’s smarter, faster, and more affordable. And with our easy-to-use, game-changing app, you’ll have everything you need, right in the palm of your hand. (Plus, if you get stuck in the snow and have roadside assistance coverage, help is on the way in just a few taps!)
See what you can save with Clearcover and get a free, no-obligation quote today.
