Expert Tips For Digging Out Your Snowed-In Car

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Winter weary residents in the Tri-State are bracing for yet another round of snow.

But many drivers are about to get walloped again before getting a chance to dig out their cars from the last storm.

As CBS 2's Dick Brennan reported from Astoria, one man was working to dig out his car for three hours on Wednesday and still had plenty of work to do.

"I think one more hour," he told Brennan.

It seems some people have simply given up, leaving their cars essentially encased in snow in their street parking spot.

If you do decide you want your wheels rolling just in time for the next storm, experts say make sure you dig out the tailpipe first.

"A lot of people want to get in the vehicle, start it up, warm it up while they're digging out and woe to the person for whom the tailpipe is clogged. That can force those noxious fumes into the vehicle and kill someone if they're in there," Robert Sinclair Jr. with AAA New York told Brennan.

Carbon monoxide, which has no odor, can back up into the car if the tailpipe is blocked.

Another tip: make sure you're armed with the right tools. A simple plastic shovel won't cut it in the icy mix.

"You're probably going to need one of these ice breakers or a pickaxe like I've been carrying," Sinclair said.

For drivers whose cars are iced in, Brennan noted at least they won't have to contend with the potholes littering the roads.

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