Stalled....but Safe
If you live outside the North Central Region, write to any of the above universities for single copies. For quantities of any regional publication or general information, write to: NCR Educational Materials Project, 111 N Curtiss Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
North Central Regional Extension Publications are prepared as a part of the Cooperative Extension activities of the 12 North Central State land grant universities in cooperation with the Science and Education Administration-U.S.D.A. The following states cooperated in making this publication available.
Illinois
Iowa
Michigan
Minnesota
Nebraska
North Dakota
Ohio
South Dakota
Stalled....but Safe
Only the worst of forecasts keeps many people home during the wintertime. And, fortunately, just about everyone makes the trip safely. However, travelers can be stranded temporarily, and sometimes uncomfortably, for several hours or several days as a blizzard rages its way across the state. Occasionally the storm takes its toll, and reports of deaths hit the headlines.
Traveling without planning and being prepared for bad weather can be hazardous. If car trouble develops or an emergency is encountered, travelers may not be able to survive an extended period of time without shelter, food and clothing.
Low temperatures cause many problems. The wind aggravates the effects of the cold as it lowers the skin temperature even more. For instance, the wind chill indicates an effective temperature of -600 on the exposed flesh at -201 if the wind is 15 mph.
Winter Storm Watch-Severe winter weather conditions may affect your area.
Winter Storm Warning-Severe winter weather conditions are imminent.
Ice Storm Warning-Significant, possibly damaging, ice accumulations
expected. Freezing rain (or drizzle) means precipitation is expected to
freeze when it hits exposed surfaces.
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Heavy Snow Warning-A snowfall of at least 4 inches in 12 hours or 6 inches in 24 hours is expected. (Heavy snow can mean lesser amounts where winter storms are infrequent.)
Blizzard Warning-Considerable falling and/or blowing snow and winds of at least 35 miles per hour, are expected for several hours.
Severe Blizzard Warning-Considerable falling and/or blowing snow, winds of at least 45 miles per hour, and temperatures 10 degrees F or lower are expected for several hours.
High Wind Warning-Winds of at least 40 miles per hour are expected to last for at least 1 hour. (In some areas, this means strong, gusty winds occurring in shorter time periods.)
Taking precautions when bad weather is predicted is only common sense. Postpone unnecessary trips, plan carefully if you must travel. Delay your trip enroute, stay secure in a town along the way if necessary.
Tell someone your plans, route, destination and time of arrival.
Keep the gas tank as full as practical. This prevents condensation
in the tank and provides a fuel reserve to draw on if stranded. Check and/or
replace the fuel filter and fuel lines.
A common fallacy is that lowering tire pressure gives added traction. This is true if you are mired in deep snow, but reduced tire pressure will actually reduce traction at any speed faster than a crawl. Lowering tire pressure speeds up tire wear, affects ride, braking and cornering- ability.
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| Figure 1. Several items that can get you out of many "stalled" situations. | Figure 2. A usefull assortment of items for winter driving |
Start out with a full tank of gas. When driving in winter, allow extra time and drive SMOOTHLY AND GENTLY. Sudden acceleration can send your car into a skid, and remember: it takes from three to 12 times as much distance to stop on snow and ice as on dry pavement. Even tire chains require four times as much braking distance on glare ice as regular tires on dry pavement. Should you go into a skid. let off the accelerator and steer in the direction of the skid, steer back as the rear of the car lines up with the front. The National Safety Council recommends braking with a fairly slow, intermittent action, fully on to fully off. This lets all brakes release and wheels roll, maintaining steering control.
If you should get stuck, you can often rock the car back and forth by shifting between reverse and forward at the end of each run and free the car. Avoid spinning the wheels excessively, as you will dig the car own and turn the surface into glare ice; use momentum instead. Be careful when rocking a car back and forth as you can ruin the transmission by doing so for more than a few minutes.
Soft snow is one of the hardest terrains to cross. Over 4 inches (10 cm) of snow causes the person to assume an unnatural bent-over position and lifting feet becomes more difficult with each step. Exhaustion quickly sets in, and with the coldness, the body cannot expend enough energy both to restore strength and provide heat. The distance you easily cover on a good day is very likely impossible after a storm.
Stay in your vehicle to conserve all of the energy you have for keeping warm and as comfortable as possible. Better to be rescued all in one piece rather than with frozen limbs or found too late fallen in the snow, a victim of hypothermia.
Hypothermia is a condition where the body temperature, or core temperature, is lowered. The blood is cooled, reducing the oxygen carried to the brain and dulling the senses. The victim becomes fatigued, delirious, and loses dexterity of arms and legs. If the body's core temperature continues to drop, at about 85 degrees F, the victim eventually slips into unconsciousness. If treatment is not started immediately, the end result is arrest of the circulatory and respiratory systems and death.
The best way to prevent hypothermia is to stay warm and dry with the proper combination of preparation, clothing, food and exercise. Refer to these sections for more information.
Symptoms of hypothermia are fairly easy to identify and treatment is very often effective. Shivering, especially uncontrollable shivering, is one of the most obvious, early signs of hypothermia. As the situation continues to worsen, these symptoms start: clumsiness, loss of dexterity, loss of reasoning and recall, shaking, muscular rigidity and if the process is not reversed through treatment, death will follow. Symptoms are very difficult to diagnose on yourself, however, because of delerium and the loss of ability to think clearly.
Treatment of hypothermia consists of several general rules:
By staying in your vehicle you'll cut down completely on the wind chill factor; there is no wind to blow away your body heat, thus a reduced possibility of hypothermia. The insulating layers of clothing and bedding trap air in the spaces between the fibers and between fabrics. Therefore, several loose layers will be warmer than one thick layer. Wear two pairs of mittens instead of gloves and three pairs of socks to keep these extremities warm. Don't squeeze heavy socks into tight boots lest your feet chill quickly. Loosely fitted bunny, moon or snowmobile boots with felt liners are good choices.
Figure 3. If stalled in a blizzard you'll find warm clothing and a sleeping bag the most welcome items you brought along.
You'll need to stay dry to stay warm. Heat is lost when you perspire. When you get extra warm open the neckline to vent warm air and to cool down. Replace damp socks to keep your feet warm and dry. Likewise, replace clothes which have gotten wet from sleet or snow. Wet clothes are cold clothes. A large plastic bag makes a substitute waterproof covering if you need to venture out.
Plan to sit on and against some insulation Eke a closed- cell foam pad, wooly real or fake sheepskin, a blanket, space sheet or a pile of newspapers. Put a pile of newspapers under your feet, too.
LAYER TWO - Long sleeved turtle neck sweater or wool shirt and a coat or V neck sweater and wool pants.
LAYER THREE - Water and wind repellent (not water- proof) fiberfill, downfill or other insulated jacket (parka) with alternating quilt stitching and insulated pants, or insulated coverall or snowmobile suit. Your top should have a hood (snorkel type preferred). A long coat is warmer than a car coat. A two-piece, bib-type snowmobile set is warmer than an all-in-one. Sleeves can cover your hands for another layer. Other good features are high necks that button snug under the chin, raglan sleeves for easy fit, storm flap over buttons or zip closure, hand pockets and a belt.
LAYER FOUR - Sleeping bag designed for winter use. "Summer" and "Boy Scout" types do not have the heavy insulation you'll want. They will be better than nothing, however. Read the labels carefully and note the differences. Several blankets per person are another option.
As the heat loss from your head and neck is considerable-50-110 percent of the total depending on the temperature-wearing a cap or hat makes sense. The body takes blood from the arms and legs to keep the head, neck and torso warmer.
So, put on a hat to keep your hands and feet warm! With a warm head, the body can direct more blood to the extremities. A knit cap is comfortable-a balaclava rolled up is a good choice as you can roll it down over your face when you need to go outside the vehicle. Have a separate hood if your jacket doesn't have one. A warm wooly scarf keeps your neck warm and can be used to cover the face when necessary.
Sunglasses are needed to protect against snow blindness and glare. Select gray or green lenses. Lipbalm, hand lotion and a frost-protective cream help protect against frostbite.
Now, excluding the sleeping bag, you are dressed as the military dress their personnel for outside duty in the Arctic climates.
Write out a list of clothing each person should have. Then, these are easily gathered when the need arises. Remember individual special needs such as diapers. Most of what you'll want is likely on hand. Many items can be bought at a savings at the season's end. Sources for outdoor clothing are, among others: sports shops, catalog companies, discount stores and Army-Navy surplus stores.
You'll need to drink one or two quarts of water per day. These can include other liquids such as soft drinks, fruit juice or liquids from canned goods, coffee, tea, cocoa or bouillon. Use melted snow or ice only if necessary. Carry a one gallon jug of fresh water in the car for every person traveling.
While a healthy person can go as long as 30 days without food, the concern here is for a one to three day emergency. Change from a good dietary pattern should not cause any serious problems in a well, healthy person for that time.
Your hunger pangs and morale will be lifted eating some food. Figure 4 shows food which should maintain your energy and heat production. For three days for each person carry along:
1 gallon water
6 cups gorp-2 cups raisins, 2 cups peanuts, 2 cups chocolate chips
or M&Ms (or 24 2 ounce candy bars)
18 pieces of fresh fruit. Select from bananas, apples, oranges, pears,
etc., or equivalent canned goods and can opener.
18 cupcakes, sweetrolls or doughnuts or a variety of these.
Each day eat two cups of gorp (or eight candy bars), pieces of fruit and six sweets. This food will provide approximately 2700 calories per day.
Keep food and water inside the car to keep it from freezing. Select foods suitable for persons traveling, as infants, young children, those on special diets, and the elderly may have special food needs.
Alcohol and smoking hasten body heat loss so it is best to avoid them. Alcohol consumed may impair your judgment, affect your actions and skills and make you drowsy or excited. A calm, clear thinking person is warmer, too.
Figure 4. Watter and an assortment of high energy foods will fufill your dietary needs for a short stay.
Figure 5. First aid and sanitary supplies will make your stay more comfortable.
NECK ROTATION - Lean head toward left shoulder Ind rotate back, right, front and left. Return in oposite direction. Repeat 3-4 times,
NECK EXTENSION - Lace fingers behind your head. Push head back as hands resist. Do with head bent forward, straight and back. Resist for six seconds at each place counting 1001, 1002, etc., for each second.
ELBOW PULL - With the other hand, gently pull your elbow behind your head to stretch back of arm and shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds. Then pull other elbow. Repeat 2-3 times.
HAND PULL - With elbows at shoulder height, hook hands together in front and pull out. Hold five seconds, then repeat 2-3 times.
HAND PUSH - This time push hands together as above.
SQUEEZE LEGS - Place feet 18" apart as you sit. Cross arms and place left palm on inside of right knee and right palm on inside of left knee. Squeeze with legs and resist with hands. Do once.
PUSH LEGS APART - Sit as above. Place right palm on outside of right knee and left on left. Spread knees and resist with hands. Do once.
GROIN STRETCH - bring your feet up to the cushion. Put soles of feet together, hands across them. Pull forward to stretch groin and back. Lean on knees, but don't bounce. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.
HAMSTRING STETCH - Stretch out left leg. Fold right leg with foot near inner left thigh. Attempt to grab left ankle and stretch. Relax and hold 30 seconds. Repeat for other leg. Repeat 2-3 times.
LOW BACK STRETCHER - Sit sideways with your feet straight out on the cushion. Bend one knee and grasp this leg and pull it toward your chest as you curl your shoulder and head toward the knee. Hold for 3-4 seconds. Return leg to cushion. Repeat for other leg. Alternate 2-4 times for each leg.
CURL UPS - Sit sideways on seat with knees bent and feet flat on cushion. Lie back as far as possible. With hands behind head, curl up to sitting position. Repeat 3 to 4 times.
SITTING TUCK - Sit sideways on the cushion, back to door, with legs bent. Extend legs straight out with heels off the cushion. Return to tuck position. Repeat 5-15 times.
Figure 6. Make the time go faster with radio, reading material,
stationery and games.
However, if you feel you need additional warmth, there are several possibilities. These heating devices should be used with extreme caution. Spilled fuel, a tipped over heater and combustibles too close to heaters all present severe fire danger! Also, any stove that burns a fuel gives off carbon monoxide, so the danger of asphyxiation is a very important corisideration when these heaters are used in a confined space.
There are a variety of emergency heating devices that could be used for supplemental heat in a vehicle. See figure 7.
Figure 7. Emergency heating devices can provide needed warmth, melt snow, etc. but use with extreme caution!
As these heaters all use oxygen while they operate, always
crack a window on the downwind side of the car to prevent asphyxiation
and allow for moisture removal. Do not sleep with the heater operating.
It could asphyxiate you or tip over and start a fire.
Another source of heat is the car heater itself. There are several problems with relying on this, however. Small leaks in the exhaust system can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. The wind can take exhaust gases up to the heater intake, causing build-up of carbon monoxide inside the car. If possible, face the car into the wind. Keep the exhaust clear of snow, and crack open a downwind window for ventilation.
Another problem is the fuel capacity of the car. An average eight cylinder automobile at idle will burn about one gallon of gasoline per hour, with six and four cylinder engines burning less. You may be rescued before you run out of fuel. If not, since the coldest spell usually comes immediately following a blizzard, you may want to save your fuel until you need it. If you have not run your car during the storm, clear the exhaust and brush the snow from the engine compartment before starting it.
The suggestion is often made to idle your car "parttime," 10-15 minutes every hour, etc. Experience has shown that in blizzard conditions snow may blow into the engine compartment and thaw from the engine's heat. When the engine is turned off, this snow melt will freeze, either icing up the carburetor or shorting out the ignition system, preventing the engine from restarting. Also, the alternator may not replace the discharge after starting and stopping quite often. This may cause the battery to fail.
Rather than using these heating devices, you would be better off to
carry adequate clothing and food so that heating is not necessary (snow
campers fare well without heat). If you take one or more heating devices,
you may want to save them in case you do not get rescued early.
These telephone numbers are available for statewide road and weather information. Weather reports are also broadcast over NOAA weather radio network.
Alaska-* Colorado-* Idaho-* Illinois-(**) 793-3500 or 283-6204 Indiana-N (317) 232-8300 S (812) 232-8298 Iowa-(512) 288-1047 Kansas-(**) 295-2631 Maine-* Michigan- AAA- 336-2575 State Police-256-9636 Minnesota-(612) 296-3076 Montana- 1-800-332-6171 (in-state after Nov. 16) Nebraska-(**) 553-5000 Nevada-* New Hampshire-* New York-* North Dakota - 1 -800-472-2686 Ohio-AAA 445-8111 Oregon-* Pennsylvania-* South Dakota-(605) 773-3105 Texas-(512) 475-2028 Utah-State Highway Conditions, (801) 532-6000 Emergency Assistance: Highway Patrol - (801) 533-5638 Civil Defense - (801) 533-5271 Vermont- * Washington-* West Virginia-(304) 293-5539 Wisconsin-(608) 266-7040 Canada-(613) 992-3322 or (613) 992-9988*If the number for your state is not listed, check with your local law enforcement agency or radio or TV station.
* *Dial the area code that corresponds to the area of the state you will be traveling in.
Programs and activities of the Cooperative Extension Services are available to all potential clientele without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, or handicap.
In cooperation with NCR Educational Materials Project
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Cooperative Extension Services of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, Myron D. Johnsrud, Director of Cooperative Extension Service, North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, Fargo, North Dakota 58105.