If you’ve lived in a part of the country that gets snow and ice in the winter for more than a year, you know what’s in store. On one hand, you can look forward to beautiful winter sunsets, ice hanging from the trees, and waking up to tranquil virgin snow. You also get to deal with icy roads, brutal winds, slush, salt and cold temperatures, all of which can be extremely hard on an automobile of any kind. Here are some essential tips to get your vehicle ready for winter.

Take Care of Your Windshield

If it’s getting close to Thanksgiving, and you’ve got a chip or crack of any kind, take it to a reputable windshield replacement St. Charles MO shop to get it taken care of. Cold weather and winds can easily cause it to spread, dangerously limiting visibility even under good weather conditions. It’s worth the time and money to fix it, and in many cases, your insurance will cover some or all the costs.

Make Sure Service is Up-to-Date

The last thing you need in winter is for your car to stop working at home or on the road for any reason. It’s tough enough to keep a vehicle running in sub-zero temperatures, so give yourself as much of an advantage as you can. Make sure you’re up to date on scheduled maintenance and consider switching to snow tires.

Keep the Right Supplies on Hand

Hopefully, you always have a first aid kit and jumper cables in your vehicle. In the winter, there are a few other items you need to keep on hand. Keep a snow brush, scraper, warm blanket, and a can of deicer in your trunk or glove compartment. It’s also not a bad idea to keep flares in your vehicle so you can be seen or found by the side of the road.