- Make sure your tire pressure and tread condition are adequate — and you have the right tires (always have a tire pressure gauge in your car).
- If traveling in the mountains, know and be sure you meet Colorado's traction law requirements.
- Check the condition and fit of your tire chains, and be sure you know how to put them on.
- Keep gas in the tank: Fill up before expected storms and stop often if traveling in bad weather; never get below half a tank if possible.
- Test your heater and defroster to be sure they work correctly.
- Inspect your wipers and replace them often if needed (Colorado sun breaks them down quickly!).
- Fill up that washer fluid — and keep a spare jug in the trunk.
- Ensure general maintenance is up to date on your car, such as lights, ignition, etc. — aging batteries are especially susceptible to failure in the bitter cold.
- Double-check on the presence and condition of your spare tire, jack and lug wrench.
- Let someone know your route and destination, and your departure and anticipated arrival times.
- Check road conditions in advance — traffic and mapping mobile apps, news websites, radio reports and especially CDOT's interactive maps on cotrip.org can carry critical information for drivers.
- Make sure your phone is fully charged. Carry a backup battery if you can, and make sure it's also charged.
- Dress appropriately for the weather (which, in Colorado, means LAYERS, people!).
- Don't drive if you have a bad cold or the flu, which could impair you as much as moderate alcohol consumption.
- It should go without saying, but don't drive in adverse conditions while under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.
- And don't drive sleepy — that's never good, but it's worse on snow and ice.
- Brush the snow off of ALL of your car — don't be that person on the highway with snow on the roof making it impossible for anyone behind you to see!
- If you become stranded, signal distress with a bright cloth tied to an antenna, mirror or roof rack — or use road flares.
- Don't leave your car if you become stranded.
- Tow strap (leave tow chains to the pros) — try to get one 20 feet or longer.
- Road flares, or reflective or battery-operated LED markers. Road flares can be a fire hazard, especially in windy conditions — know how to safely use them. Charge or bring spare batteries for LED type.
- Reflective vest — especially in bad weather, other drivers may not be able to see you if you're trying to dig your car out.
- First aid kit. You can buy ready-made ones or build your own.
- Jumper cables. Buy good, heavy-gauge cables with copper conductors — the longer, the better.
- Ice scraper and/or snow brush.
- Shovel or entrenching tool.
- Flashlight with extra batteries.
- Phone charger. Keep one in your car at all times so you can't forget it!
- Non-clumping cat litter, sand, traction mats or other traction aids.
- Some sort of basic tool. A Swiss Army knife or Leatherman-type multitool will work for starters (read on for more about tools).
- Vehicle escape tool, such as Lifehammer, Resqme or similar, with a window breaker and a seatbelt cutter. Be aware some of the newest vehicles use laminated window glass, which could make this less useful.
- Printed maps and compass. If you must leave your vehicle, you should be able to read a map and navigate with a compass, and good old paper still works even when your phone is dead or the towers go down.
- Blanket(s). Heavy wool is best for warmth and still works when wet; reflective or survival type blankets make for good, highly visible outer layers.
- Extra hat, gloves/mittens, jacket, boots. Fleece or wool will generally serve you best.
- Socks. Keep at least one spare pair of wool socks in case yours get wet.
- Chemical hand warmers. Bonus points if your emergency gloves have pockets for them.
- Drinking water — 1 gallon per person, preferably.
- Emergency food. Choose nonperishable, long-lasting things like granola or energy bars.
- Extra prescription medications (keep these in your first aid kit and rotate in fresh ones regularly).
- Cloth or paper towels, toilet paper, hand sanitizer. Let's face it, sometimes nature calls when you're far from any available plumbing.
- Entertainment: cards, book, travel board games — your sanity can get as frost-bitten as your toes if you're stranded a long time.
- Whistle (to call for help).
- Battery or hand-crank radio.
- Battery booster/jumper box (keep it charged).
- More complete tool kit. We're talking wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers and so one. You can build a kit to fit your car perfectly.
- Electric or battery-powered air pump or, at least, canned tire inflator.
- Small gas can (if you do run out, don't be a hostage to "renting" one from a filling station).
- Fire extinguisher (ABC type).
- Tarp for emergency shelter.
- Extra fluids (coolant, motor oil, etc.).
- You can try building a candle-powered or similar small heater. Be sure to ventilate the car if you use one.
- You can try fog-proofing your exterior mirrors and window interiors with shaving cream.
- Water filter or other purification methods. If worse comes to worst, you can always melt snow to drink — but you still may want to filter it.
- Emergency fire-starting materials, stored in a waterproof container. You can assemble a basic kit from household items and scraps.
