Should you raise your windshield wipers before a snow storm?

You will notice that when a blizzard rolls in, many parked cars raise their wipers. It may seem strange, but this method is used by conscientious drivers who do not want to change the wiper blades after every snowfall.

It's a good idea to raise your windshield wipers before a snow storm. When it snows, especially if your windshield is wet or warm when you park, the snow can melt into water on your windshield and then freeze. When this happens, the wiper blades freeze to the windshield in a sheath of ice. If your wiper blades are frozen to the windshield and you try to use them, you can:

• Tear off the rubber edges on the wipers
• Put a load on the wiper motor and burn it.
• Bend the wipers

If you didn't raise the wipers before snowfall and they are frozen to the windshield, warm up the car before trying to free them. The warm air inside your car will begin to melt the ice on your windshield from the inside. Then carefully loosen the wiper arms and clear the windshield of snow and ice.

If you try to use the ice scraper on the windshield when the wipers are frozen to the glass, you risk cutting or scratching the edge of the rubber blade with the windshield scraper. De-ice the wipers and raise them before scraping the ice off the windshield.