Winter Car Prep: Essential Kit and Tips for Surviving Metro Detroit’s Coldest January in Years

Temps plunged below zero across Metro Detroit this weekend. The National Weather Service issued a Cold Weather Advisory starting at 1 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23, running through 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24. Wind chills were expected to hit 25 below zero. Saturday morning might bring the coldest air the area has seen in seven years.

The brutal cold made roads dangerous. Snow made things worse. AAA spokesperson Adrienne Woodland says keeping your car ready can save you when temps drop this low.

Ice and snowstorms cause nearly 500,000 crashes each year, AAA reports. Call volume can jump almost 100% compared to warmer weeks, Woodland says.

Road salt loses its punch as the mercury falls. Craig Bryson, senior communications manager with the Road Commission of Oakland County, explained how frigid air affects road treatment.

"When you get below 20, it begins to lose effectiveness. You get into the single digits, and it's pretty ineffective," Bryson said, as shared by CBS News.

Electric car owners deal with extra problems when the thermometer drops. Erin Henderson, an EV driver, told CBS News Detroit that cold weather saps her battery fast.

"The cold weather drains our battery like it's ridiculous. It can just be cold. I can park my car overnight, and the charge will have gone down. I didn't even drive it," Henderson said, as reported by CBS News.

Freezing temps can slash EV range by up to 40% and slow charging times, AAA says. They suggest preconditioning the battery while plugged in and using heated seats instead of cabin heat to conserve power.

AAA advises keeping a safety kit in your car with water, a first aid kit, wiper fluid, and a cell phone car charger. Other items to pack: flashlights, blankets, traction aids like sand or salt, and an ice scraper.

Drivers should keep at least half a tank of fuel in their car at all times and never use cruise control on slippery surfaces. AAA also suggests testing batteries more than three years old, as frozen locks become a common problem during this time of year.