Don’t Freeze Your Engine: Essential Winter Driving Hacks for the North

Plug it in, but not all night, every night

In deep cold, engine oil thickens and batteries weaken, and a car left unplugged overnight may not start. Block heaters warm the engine so it starts reliably, which is why plug-in posts are everywhere in the North.

Rental car companies tend to tell everyone to leave the car plugged in overnight, every night, which is overkill for typical winter temperatures and needlessly expensive if you're paying for the power. In ordinary Yukon winter cold, plugging in an hour or so before you actually want to drive is plenty. Once you start the engine, give it a few minutes to warm up before you actually pull away. Save the all-night plug-in for genuinely serious cold, colder than about -30 to -35°C, when the extra margin actually matters.

Winter tires are non-negotiable

Proper winter tires, not all-seasons, transform grip on snow and ice. Confirm your vehicle, rental or your own, has them before any winter trip. Studded tires are common and legal in the territory's winter and add extra bite on ice.

One thing nobody warns you about: a car parked outside overnight in serious cold will develop temporary flat spots on the tires, right where they were sitting on the ground. It's not a flat tire, the pressure is fine, just a section of rubber that's gone slightly stiff and flat-sided from the cold. Your first few minutes of driving will feel like piloting a clown car, a distinct thump-thump-thump until the tires warm up and round back out. It's normal, it's harmless, and it goes away on its own within a few minutes of driving.

Carry a survival kit

Because help can be far away, always travel with a winter emergency kit: warm blankets or a sleeping bag, extra warm clothing, food and water, a flashlight, a shovel, traction aids or sand, jumper cables, a first-aid kit, and candles or a heat source. If you break down in a remote area, staying with your vehicle and warm is the priority.

Drive to the conditions

Slow down, increase following distances dramatically, and brake and steer gently, sudden inputs cause skids on ice. Watch for black ice, especially on bridges and shaded stretches, and for frost heaves hidden under snow. Keep the fuel tank at least half full to avoid line freeze and to keep your options open.

Plan for remoteness

Tell someone your route and expected arrival, even if that someone is just your innkeeper for the night, and check road reports before you leave. Don't count on cell coverage between towns, and consider a satellite communicator for long remote drives.

It's worth understanding just how empty these highways can get in the dead of winter. In January 2020, three people went off the road between Carmacks and Pelly Crossing in weather that reached -50°C. There was no cell service, and no traffic passed for hours. They eventually set their own vehicle on fire to stay warm, and were found the next morning by a passing trucker. Everyone survived, but it's a genuine illustration of what "remote" actually means out here in deep winter: not just far from a town, but potentially far from another vehicle for an entire night.

Fuel up at every opportunity, since stations are far apart and keep limited winter hours.

Cold-weather habits

Keep your phone charged and warm, carry an ice scraper and brush, clear all windows and lights before driving, and give the car a few minutes to warm up. Small routines prevent big problems.

Respect the cold and the distances, prepare properly, and winter driving in the Yukon becomes not a hazard to fear but simply the way you get to the frozen lakes, snowy trails, and aurora-lit nights that make a northern winter unforgettable.