Stuck in Snow in Winnipeg: What to Do While You Wait for Help

Winnipeg gets heavy snowfall, drifting and icy ruts, and every winter some drivers end up in a ditch, a snowbank or an unplowed side street. If this happens to you, what you do in the first few minutes matters for both your safety and your vehicle.

First, make the situation safe

1. Stay calm and turn on your hazard lights.
2. Check yourself and your passengers. If anyone is hurt or the vehicle is in the traffic lane, call 911 first.
3. Stay in your vehicle unless you can clearly see a safe, nearby place to go. Walking in a blizzard or at -30°C wind chill is far riskier than waiting in a vehicle.
4. Call for help and share your exact location. Use a nearby intersection, a highway marker or your phone’s map pin.

Do not keep spinning your wheels

Spinning the tires usually digs you deeper and can overheat the transmission. If you want to try once, clear snow from around the tires and under the vehicle, straighten the wheels and use a gentle, steady throttle. If the car does not move after a couple of tries, stop and call.

Stay warm and safe with the engine

• Clear the exhaust pipe first. A pipe blocked by snow can push carbon monoxide into the cabin.
• Run the engine only briefly, for example about 10 minutes each hour, enough to take the edge off the cold and charge your phone.
• Crack a window slightly for fresh air while the engine is running.
• Keep your fuel tank as full as you can through winter so you have enough in a long wait.

What to keep in your trunk

• Warm blanket, extra gloves, hat and boots
• Small shovel and a bag of sand or cat litter for traction
• Flashlight, phone charger or power bank
• Booster cables or a jump pack
• Water and non-perishable snacks
• Reflective triangle or flares

When to call a professional

Call a recovery company instead of trying to dig yourself out if:

• Your vehicle is in a ditch, on a slope or beside a road.
• The snow is deep, packed or icy.
• You are on a rural road or highway with no one nearby.
• You have a lowered, AWD or electric vehicle that could be damaged by the wrong kind of pull.

Brown Square Towing does not do recoveries or winch-outs. Once your vehicle is back on a drivable surface, we can tow it to a shop or home, and if the battery died while you waited, we can jump start it.

Tell us these details when you call

• Where you are and which direction you were driving
• Vehicle make, model and whether it is AWD or 4x4
• How far off the road you are, and whether it is a ditch, a drift or deep snow
• Whether the vehicle can still be driven and whether anyone is injured

We cover Winnipeg and the surrounding area

From Transcona to St. James and from Headingley to Oakbank, we respond day and night through the winter. Browse our service areas or call us now.