With the winter season amongst us and the bitter cold and frozen roads taking a toll on us, there is little we can do to prevent it. However, there are a few ways to fight the snow covered cars and 20 below weather with some simple winter hacks.

1. Frozen car mirrors are an annoyance; try putting Ziploc bags over your side mirrors while your car is parked outside to prevent snow from covering them.
2. If you are crazy enough to want to ride a bike, then you know the trouble of getting it through the slightest bit of snow. Try tying zip-ties to the tires to create makeshift tire chains.
3. If you’re ever stuck without an ice scraper, you can use a non-metal spatula or even a credit card to chip ice off your windshield.
4. Always keep a tub of kitty litter in your trunk in case you’re stuck in snow; just pour it around your tires. Also, if it is your last resort, place your car mats under your tires so you can drive over them.
5. Speaking of car mats, they’re important. Even if you can afford Weather Tech floor liners, you can get cheap ones that still prevent you from ruining your car floor.
6. People often get confused as to why their car door handles won’t open until they realize they are frozen shut. Try rubbing hand sanitizer on them- it will make the ice melt quicker.
7. If you’re stuck inside your house and you’re out of salt, you can make homemade road salt by combining one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and half a gallon of hot water and pour it over icy driveways and sidewalks. The best part is, it won’t eat away at asphalt and concrete.
8. Icy windows are just as dangerous as they are annoying. Spray a vinegar and water mixture (three parts vinegar to one part water) on the exterior of your car windows to prevent ice from forming.
9. About 15-20 minutes before going to bed, place a heating pad or hot water bottle under your sheets and it will be warm by the time you’re ready to hit the sheets.
10. RadarCast – NOAA HD FutureCas app is a weather app that shows you the entire US. You can click on any location to see stop and start times for snow storms, how much is predicted to fall, how cold it will be, the wind-chill, and up to the second storm tracking. But don’t think that this app is just for winter- during other seasons you can see rainstorms, cloud coverage, temperature and real-time mapping of lightning bolt strikes. It is like having a pocket weatherman.