How To Get Your Car Unstuck in Snow

Dig, rock, and sprinkle your way out of a slippery situation.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Mar 7, 2023 | 3 min read

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Car buried in the snow? It’s a rite of passage for any driver who lives where dumps of the white stuff are a regular winter feature. Although the best rule of thumb is to stay off the roads during a blizzard or other weather situation where traction is reduced, it's not always possible to wait for the plow to pass by before you head out in your car or truck, especially if you've been surprised by an overnight snowfall that surrounded your vehicle with knee-deep drifts before you had to leave for work in the morning.

Fortunately, if you do get stuck in the snow, you have a number of methods to escape its slippery clutches and avoid having to call a tow company. Here are three of the best ways to get your car unstuck in snow.

Dig It Out From the Snow

One of the most common ways drivers get stuck in snow is when so much snow is packed underneath a vehicle that its drive wheels can't make enough contact with the road surface to move it forward or backward. Often, this packed snow also serves as a physical barrier at the front or rear of the automobile that can't be pushed through to the open road.

A highly effective way to get unstuck in this scenario is to dig away at the snow in front of, behind, and, most important, underneath the car or truck. This is most effectively done using a small shovel (that you can keep in your trunk), but gloved hands will work in a pinch depending on the amount of snowfall and weather conditions.

Rock It Back and Forth to Gain Momentum

Breaking free from a being stuck on a low traction surface can often be accomplished by managing a vehicle's momentum. Although your tires might not have enough grip to move ahead, by rocking the car back and forth at low speeds, shifting from reverse, then to forward, you can often generate enough momentum to bump out of the snowy rut that you find yourself stuck in.

Rocking a car back and forth in this manner is even more effective when combined with having someone push the vehicle at the same time. Just make sure to keep speeds low, and alert those helping you when you feel the car gaining traction.

Use Kitty Litter to Add Traction

A great way to get unstuck in the snow is to improve the traction of the ground ahead of each tire. There are a couple of ways to do this. The most basic is to introduce a gritty substance (i.e. sand) that will dig into both the snow and the tire and provide small amounts of friction that can often be enough to get moving. Keeping a bag of standard kitty litter in the trunk that can be sprinkled on the ground is a surprisingly effective method for improving grip on snow and ice.

You might also consider carrying a set of traction aids with you during the winter months. These plastic boards are perfect for laying in front of a tire and providing a grip-friendly surface that can propel you from your stuck situation.

And If All Else Fails, Get Help

When conditions are too extreme and your vehicle just won’t budge, it’s time to get help. Prioritize staying warm if you can’t go back inside wherever you are. While some might attach a rope between the stuck vehicle and another, we do not recommend doing so, as it can be dangerous. If you cannot go back inside a building or are out on the road when you get stuck, stay inside your vehicle and call for help. Roadside assistance services are often the safest and most effective way of getting your vehicle free from the snow when all other efforts have been unsuccessful.

Benjamin Hunting

Benjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.