Stranded in a vehicle during winter weather

Decide whether the vehicle is still the safest shelter

For a snowbound vehicle without an immediate threat, remaining with it is generally safer than walking into wind-driven snow. Visibility, distance, and footing are easy to misjudge. Do not leave merely because a map shows a nearby building or someone expects you at your destination.

Before considering a refuge, check the whole route, weather, mobility needs, and whether you can get inside. Do not split up to search blindly.

Reference: National Weather Service: Caught in a Winter Storm · American Red Cross: Winter Storm Safety · U.S. Fire Administration: Vehicle Fire Safety · National Weather Service: During a Flood

Give helpers a location and a realistic picture

Call 911 for urgent danger or serious symptoms; use roadside assistance for a stable mechanical problem. Neither call guarantees an arrival time.

• Give road, direction, marker, side, vehicle description, and occupant count. Add coordinates if available.
• Describe lost heat, blocked exhaust, health changes, and assistance needed to transfer occupants.
• Ask what to do while waiting and how to report changes.

Call if you can; text 911 if you cannot and local service supports it. A failed text or bounce-back means contact was not established.

Reference: National 911 Program: Calling and Texting 911

Make a warmer cabin without creating a new hazard

Put on dry layers, cover the head and hands, and wrap blankets or sleeping bags around the body. Insulate against cold seats and the floor with available dry material. Keep faces clear. Share warmth where practical without abandoning restraints when another impact remains possible.

• Retrieve trunk supplies only when a brief exit is safe.
• Move limbs gently; avoid sweating, exhausting digging, or pushing.
• Drink water and eat snacks if fully alert and able to swallow normally. Do not eat snow.
• Keep medication and assistive-device needs in the waiting plan.

For a child in a car seat, use thin warm layers under a snug harness and blankets over it. Bulky coats can compromise fit.

Reference: CDC: Safety During and After a Winter Storm · American Red Cross: Winter Storm Safety · NHTSA: Winter Weather Driving Tips · CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics

Treat engine heat as conditional, not automatically safe

Carbon monoxide has no reliable smell or visible warning. Snow blocking the tailpipe can allow deadly gas to build up in the cabin. Exhaust-system damage is another concern. If you cannot safely reach the exhaust, cannot keep snow from reblocking it, or suspect a leak or crash damage, do not run a combustion engine for heat.

NWS describes running a motor for about 10 minutes per hour with a window slightly open and exhaust cleared. This is conditional fuel-conservation guidance, not a safe-runtime guarantee. A clear tailpipe and cracked window do not prove the cabin is safe.

• Before any running period, reassess snow accumulation, exhaust condition, and whether checking outside is itself safe.
• Do not run an engine in an enclosed space, and do not sleep with it running.
• If safe heat is unavailable, add insulation and tell responders that your shelter is cooling; do not substitute a flame.

Reference: CDC: Clear Snow from Tailpipes · National Weather Service: Caught in a Winter Storm · NHTSA: Winter Weather Driving Tips · CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics · NHTSA: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles · Toyota 2025 Tundra Hybrid manual: model-specific hybrid-system example

Set up a watch while help is delayed

Check people first, then conditions and resources. With several adults, agree who remains alert. Do not rely on an assumed rescue time.

Make the vehicle easier to identify with a bright cloth or marker when you can place it safely. At night, an interior dome light can help rescuers see you; consider available battery power and scene-specific instructions. Do not stand in a lane to wave vehicles down. Lighting should suit your roadside position and responder directions; advice for a safely parked vehicle does not justify going dark in an active traffic lane.

Avoid unnecessary phone use while keeping it available for callbacks and alerts. Record important changes instead of repeatedly refreshing an unchanged map.

Reference: American Red Cross: Winter Storm Safety · CDC: Safety During and After a Winter Storm · NHTSA: Winter Weather Driving Tips · National Weather Service: During Extremely Cold Weather

Escalate cold injury, carbon monoxide, or a failing shelter

Do not wait for a person to collapse before asking for urgent help. Confusion, slurred speech, unusual drowsiness, severe shivering, or worsening coordination can indicate hypothermia. Numb, pale, or white skin can indicate frostbite. Call for medical help and describe observations rather than trying to diagnose the person yourself.

Headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, or confusion during engine use can be carbon monoxide poisoning. Shut off the engine, get occupants to fresh air away from exhaust as safely as the scene allows, and call 911. Do not restart just because symptoms improve. People who are asleep may not notice warning symptoms.

• Handle a severely cold person gently and insulate the center of the body while following dispatcher guidance. Do not rub numb or frozen areas or use intense direct heat.
• Report dwindling heat or essential medical-device power before it becomes a collapse.
• If the vehicle catches fire, get out, stay away, and do not return. If water is rising, reassess immediately and avoid entering floodwater.

During an escape, take immediately reachable essentials only. Belongings must not delay getting away from danger.

Reference: National Weather Service: Cold Weather Questions · National Weather Service: During Extremely Cold Weather · CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics · CDC/NIOSH: Carbon Monoxide Hazards · U.S. Fire Administration: Vehicle Fire Safety · National Weather Service: During a Flood

Recover without turning a long wait into another emergency

Tell responders about occupants’ condition, possible exhaust exposure, and transfer needs before discussing the vehicle. Report suspected exposure even if symptoms improved.

1. Confirm the destination and tell your contact when you leave the original location.
2. Keep people away from the traffic side and recovery equipment; follow the operator’s directions.
3. Before any later drive, clear snow from the vehicle and exhaust, check road conditions, and address damage or warning lights.
4. Reassess whether the driver is warm, alert, and fit to continue. Arrange a warm stop or another driver rather than pushing on through exhaustion.

Improved visibility does not reopen a closed road. Avoid exhausting digging or improvised towing as a substitute for safe recovery.

Reference: National Weather Service: Caught in a Winter Storm · American Red Cross: Winter Storm Safety · NHTSA: Winter Weather Driving Tips · CDC: Safety During and After a Winter Storm