How to protect your car from snow and ice

Snow on its own is mostly a nuisance. The damage rides in with it: road salt in the slush that speeds up rust, melt that turns into moisture trapped against the car, and an ice scraper dragged across the paint in a hurry. None of it is hard to guard against. It just has to happen before the first real storm, not during it.

Prep the car, then cover it right

These steps cover a car that sits outside for the season, whether it's driven daily or parked most of the week. Most of them take minutes, and every one of them is easier before the first storm than during it.

1. Wash it, dry it, then wax it

   Start the season with a clean, completely dry car, so you aren't covering up road grime and salt.

   Then put on a coat of wax, or a paint sealant if you prefer, before the cold sets in. AAA notes that wax creates a barrier on painted surfaces that makes it harder for salty slush to stick. Through the winter, AAA suggests a wash about every two weeks, more often after heavy snow, with an undercarriage rinse to get salt off the metal you can't see.

2. Choose a cover built for winter, not just any cover

   A cover made for summer dust is not the same as one built to sit under snow. The Platinum Shield's outer shell is a water-resistant silver 300D polyester with a polyurethane and UV treatment and it is breathable. Underneath, a fleece liner sits against the paint.

   Fit matters as much as fabric. A cover sized wrong leaves gaps that let cold and wet in exactly where you want them kept out, so choose one matched to your exact car rather than a universal, one-size sheet.

   

3. Get the fit snug, then tie it down

   Put the cover on from the front: seat the front hem over the front bumper, pull the cover back over the roof, then stretch the rear hem over the back bumper. The elastic hems front and back draw it in snug.

   If you park where the wind picks up, add a wind strap such as the Gust Strap. Its grip clips fasten to the lower edge of the cover and its bungee cords run underneath the car, pulling the open areas of the cover tight so a gust can't loosen it or carry it away.

   TipWalk around the car after a windy night and re-seat any hem the wind has worked loose.

   

4. Let it breathe

   A winter cover has two jobs that pull against each other: keep the weather out, and let moisture escape. Snow melts, warm and cold air meet under the fabric, and condensation forms. A cover that breathes lets that moisture dry out instead of holding it against the car, where it invites mold and mildew.

   That's why a plastic tarp is a poor stand-in: a winter cover needs airflow to help dry up condensation, and plastic sheeting doesn't breathe.

   

5. Clear it safely once the storm passes

   Brush or shake the snow off the top of the cover before you take it off, so you're not dumping it down the side of the car. If ice has frozen the cover in place, don't yank it. CarCovers' own directions are to pour cool water over the cover to thaw the ice, lift it gently, and repeat if it still sticks. Never use warm or hot water.

   For any glass the cover didn't protect, start the engine and run the defroster on full heat rather than pouring hot water on it. AAA warns that the thermal shock can crack a cold windshield. A plastic ice scraper helps on the glass, but keep it off the body: scrapers are made for hard surfaces and can scratch the paint.

6. Watch the battery through a cold snap

   Cold hits a battery twice over. AAA says a battery loses about 35 percent of its strength at 32°F and about 60 percent at 0°F, just as a cold engine may need up to twice the normal current to start. Have the battery tested before winter, especially if it's more than three years old or has been slow to start. If the car sits for days at a time, AAA suggests a drive of at least 30 minutes once or twice a week, which helps though it won't fully recharge the battery, or a trickle charger.

7. Check tire pressure more often

   Air contracts as it cools, and AAA notes tire pressure can drop roughly 1 to 2 psi for every 10°F the temperature falls. The first cold morning of the season is often when the tire pressure warning light comes on. Check the pressure at least once a month against the number on the driver's door frame or in the owner's manual, not the figure molded into the tire's sidewall, and check it before you drive, while the tires are cold.

Matching the cover to your winter

Every outdoor grade is water-resistant, and both of these have a fleece liner against the paint. The Platinum Shield is the top of the range, built for the car that faces every season; the Weatherproof Max is the all-season step below it.