This story should be a cautionary note to anyone travelling this winter in a potential snow zone. These folks were lucky that authorities were able to snowmobile in and give them gasoline to keep their heaters running through the night.

I need to put more Cliff Bars in the car.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/11/AR2009121102348.html?hpid=sec-nation

Snow strands motorists on NY Thruway near Pa. line

By CAROLYN THOMPSON
The Associated Press
Friday, December 11, 2009; 9:09 PM

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- More than 100 people who spent the night in snowbound cars and trucks on a closed stretch of New York State Thruway were guided off the highway Friday, but travel remained treacherous in the southwest corner of the state and into Pennsylvania.

52-mile stretch of Interstate 90 between Dunkirk, N.Y. and Erie, Pa., which was closed because of howling winds and blowing snow about 1:30 a.m. Friday.

"People were cold, they were hungry and they were tired."

Just advised some friends in Rochester to stock up a bit.

I'm sure many people here have more but I generally keep the shovel mentioned elsewhere, a sleeping bag, ration bars, water, an emergency stove, and lots of fire making stuff in my car for just such a situation. Fortunately for me I think a night light this would be spend cozy in the back of my car (how I've spent other winter nights hunting, etc), but I bet it is terrible for others. Also, if it went for more than one night it'd be bad. I would have food, but it'd get unpleasant.

Most importantly I have descent snow tires and cables in my car. I'd rather not get stuck!

The story does make me wonder how much snow my car could go through though I've driven it (from a stop) through roughly 14 inches of unplowed fairly light snow, but as it gets heavier, it'd get harder I'm sure.

A car is a luxurious bivouac site, provided you throw in a sleeping bag or blankets. Just takes a litle foresight.

Note to self. Put the wool blankets back in the car. They were taken out due to some holiday shopping issues (only have a truck box on my pickup)

Just got through shoveling out in Ontario. Sometimes when the cops say not to drive if you can help it they really do mean it.
I have no problem waiting out a storm either at home or at friends until the storm blows over.
Sometimes being prepared can be about being prepared not to go out and get stuck.

By the way, it is nice and sunny today and most of the roads have been cleared but not all of them.
It was a pretty good dump of snow considering it was the first real snow of the season.

Apparently, the biggest problem there wasn't the depth of the snow so much as the lack of visibility. You can't do much about that. I follow a big truck in fog (etc), but if the trucks stop...

Sue

I got stuck on the MMMBT when coming back from the airport once before. We were there for about two hours, until 1:00am. Luckly my mom seems to keep 3 day's worth of snacks in her purse.

If I got stuck there again in this kind of cold, I think that Heatsheets would come in handy. The driver is SOL, it's a one person size. ^_^

Just back from the mountains where I store my teardrop trailer. Needed to retrieve some winter gear out of it.

Am now keeping a zero-degree bag in my SUV, an assortment of fleece (neck gaiters, balaclava, ear muffs, gloves), Gore-Tex boot gaiters, Smartwool ski socks and down booties. Also, chemical hand and foot warmers.

Took the Kelly Kettle out of the teardrop and put it in the car, along with a duel-fuel Coleman one-burner stove and an MSR non-stick cook kit.

And three days of dog food. Have been keeping a case of water in there for awhile.

We're going to be doing some dogsledding this winter. This article prompted me to go ahead and get the car stuck-worthy.