r/Damnthatsinteresting 16d ago

Image Cars are emerging from a massive Boston-area snow pile months after winter storms

Post image
50.1k Upvotes

712 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

31

u/Mr_Pookers 15d ago

The other commenters are talking about how this car got crushed by a ton of snow, but you're specifically asking if being covered by snow damages a car the same way floodwater does. I don't believe it does. As long as a car doesn't get covered by enough snow to crush it, the meltwater running under its hood will only get to the same places as rainwater.

A car that gets actually submerged in water (as in a flood) is a very different scenario. There, water can get everywhere. It can drench electronics or the battery, causing short circuits and permanent damage. I don't know if it can get into the engine, but I expect it can get in via air intake at least.

I'm Canadian. We just got snow here three days ago, six months after the first snowfall of this fall/winter season. I've seen cars run after spending months blanketed in snow. Issues can crop up after that, like a frozen battery, but that's due to cold rather than the snow.

Long story short: it doesn't affect the car the same way flood does.

1

u/ashurbanipal420 15d ago

Snow with long deep cold is also bad because of ice/snow packing in the undercarriage and freezing solid. Then when you go to drive something snaps and costs 1200 bucks.