Should You Put Your Windshield Wipers Up When It Snows?

What do you do with your windshield wipers when you hear that snow is on its way to the Hudson Valley?

Anytime the threat of snow coming anywhere near the Hudson Valley, one thing I've started to see more and more in parking lots up and down Route 9 from Poughkeepsie to Fishkill, across the river in Newburgh, out to Middletown is that many people think if snow is coming the best way to prepare your car is to stand up your windshield wipers so that they are not touching your windshield. But is it the right thing to do, or is it damaging your car or truck?

I'm not the most mechanically inclined person so I reached out to my friend Pete over at Tire King in Wappingers Falls to ask him what he would recommend we do when snow is coming our way. He told me that putting the wipers up is a "safe option" when snow is forecasted and that by doing that it also "makes the removal of the snow and ice when you need to drive a lot easier because the wipers aren't stuck to the windshield."

The folks over at AAA do say that if you choose to put the wipers up, you’re putting stress on the spring that holds the wiper arms against the windshield and that could create a problem over time.

AAA also offered another option when dealing with incoming snow. One of AAA Northeast's mangers Robert Sinclair Jr. said that, "You can put a blanket over the windshield and weigh it down with some bricks prior to a storm. The next morning, pull off the blanket and the windshield is clear."

One last suggestion I personally have for everyone during the winter in the Hudson Valley, makes sure that your windshield washer fluid is always topped off this time of year because the last thing I want for you is to be driving after a snow storm and you have no fluid to clear off the windshield while your driving. It's happened to me many times and its the WORST!

Another "winter car hack" we got from fans on the Wakin' Up with CJ and Jess show, if you park in a parking lot and normally park "nose in", some find backing into your parking spot before a snow storm makes things easier when it comes to getting out of the spot.

If you have a "hack" that you use before a snow storm for your car, share it with us through the Wolf mobile app.