Winter Car Kit: What to Carry for Snow and Cold

Most winter car kit lists are about blankets and flashlights. This one starts with the part that keeps you moving, your tires, then covers the general gear.

TireShopper does not test products. This is a checklist drawn from AAA, Ready.gov, state transportation departments and tire makers, with links to Amazon searches for a few items.

Check the rules and conditions where you will drive. Winter requirements differ by state and by road.

Check the tires first

Pressure

Air contracts as temperatures fall. Michelin says tires lose about 1 PSI for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit drop in temperature, and that a tire at the correct pressure in summer can be low by midwinter. Michelin suggests checking and adjusting in autumn, before sustained cold sets in.

USTMA says to check tires when they are cold, meaning parked for at least three hours, and to include the spare. The target is the vehicle maker's pressure on the door placard or in your owner's manual, not the number on the sidewall. Our guide to tire pressure and TPMS basics explains where to find it.

A tire gauge is on AAA Washington's list of general kit items. A gauge and a way to add air are worth keeping in the vehicle. If you are choosing one, see our guides to tire pressure gauges and portable tire inflators.

Tread depth

AAA Oregon suggests inspecting your tire tread depth and pressure as you prepare for the season. Michelin says tread depth matters more in winter, when rain and snow require effective water channeling.

Michelin gives the penny test for the legal minimum of 2/32 inch: put a penny in a groove with Lincoln's head down, and if you can see the top of his head the tire needs replacing. Our guide to when tires need replacing explains how to measure and what else to look for.

Some rules ask for more. When Colorado's Traction Law is in effect, for example, all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles need tires with at least 3/16 inch of tread, and the tires must be winter tires carrying the mountain snowflake symbol, all-weather tires, or mud and snow (M+S) tires. Otherwise the vehicle needs chains or an approved alternative traction device on two or more drive tires.

For how the tire types differ, see our guide to all-season, all-weather and winter tires.

Chains and tire socks

Chains and other traction devices are required on some roads at some times. Caltrans says you must stop and put on chains when highway signs indicate chains are required. Under Colorado's Chain Law, every vehicle must have chains or an approved alternative traction device. Oregon DOT says vehicles rated 10,000 pounds or less that are not towing may use traction tires in place of chains, but that in very bad conditions all vehicles may be required to use chains. Check your own state's rules before a trip.

Match them to your tires

Chains are sold by tire size. Les Schwab says to read the sidewall of one of your tires, and that you should look for chains or traction devices that fit your width and aspect ratio, which you will find listed on the packaging. You can look up what the numbers mean in our guide to reading a tire sidewall, and browse sizes on our tire size pages.

Check your owner's manual

Les Schwab says to check your owner's manual for clearance requirements for snow chains before buying, and notes that some vehicles have very little clearance between the tire and the wheel well. Caltrans advises checking your vehicle maker's specifications for use of chains and traction devices.

Les Schwab says that if you drive a low-clearance vehicle you need SAE Class S chains or snow socks, which it describes as an alternative to chains that even low-clearance vehicles can use.

Put them on the right wheels

Les Schwab says to install chains on the front wheels for a front-wheel-drive vehicle and on the back for rear-wheel drive, and to check the owner's manual for all-wheel drive. Oregon DOT likewise says chains go on one tire on each side of the primary drive axle.

Practice before you need them

Les Schwab recommends trying to install them at home in the garage or a dry location before driving in snow. Caltrans says to wait until you can pull completely off the roadway before installing, and not to stop in a traffic lane. It also notes a speed limit of 25 or 30 miles an hour when chains are required in California. Read the maker's instructions for the speed limit on yours.

Traction aids for getting unstuck

AAA South Jersey lists a bag of abrasive material, such as sand, salt or cat litter, or traction mats. AAA Oregon specifies non-clumping kitty litter, sand or dedicated traction mats. Ready.gov lists sand too.

AAA also lists a snow shovel, and a small one fits in a trunk.

General gear

These items are on AAA, AAA Oregon and Ready.gov lists:

• To clear the vehicle. An ice scraper and snow brush. AAA Oregon says to clear frost, ice and snow from the windshield, windows, headlights and roof.
• To get going again. Jumper cables or a portable lithium-ion jump starter. AAA Oregon says either can save you from being stranded by a dead battery, and that electronic batteries drain faster in the cold.
• To see and be seen. A flashlight with extra batteries, and warning devices such as flares or triangles.
• To stay warm. Blankets, gloves, hats and warm socks, plus a change of warm clothes. AAA also lists hand and foot warmers.
• To stay fed and hydrated. Drinking water and non-perishable snacks.
• To call for help. A charged phone and a way to charge it. AAA Oregon suggests a fully charged power bank in the glove box.
• For small problems. A first-aid kit and a basic toolkit.
• Fuel. Ready.gov says to keep a full tank of gas.

Where to look

These links go to Amazon search results, not to a particular product. You choose what to open and compare:

• Ice scrapers and snow brushes (Amazon search, opens in a new tab)
• Folding snow shovels (Amazon search, opens in a new tab)
• Portable jump starters (Amazon search, opens in a new tab)
• Traction mats (Amazon search, opens in a new tab)
• Tire chains (Amazon search, opens in a new tab) (filter by your tire size and check clearance first)