Should you leave your windshield wipers up during a storm? Its debatable. – NJ.com

Weve all seen it. As snow or ice falls, a car is parked with its windshield wipers lifted up, off the glass.

Then, you think, should I be doing that?

As New Jersey braces for an ice storm Monday into Tuesday, this is a good time to weigh the pros and cons behind this technique.

The idea behind getting the wipers off the glass is that they wont freeze to the windshield and it will be easier to clear the snow or ice with a couple of unobstructed swoops of the snow brush.

Robert Sinclair Jr., manager of media relations at AAA Northeast, says it also eliminates the chance of burning out the windshield wiper motor when you start your car and the blades try to push their way through the frozen stuff.

But the convenience of an easy-to-clean windshield could cost you.

The National Weather Service says leaving your wipers pointed up can cause stress on the springs that hold them to the windshield and can lead to cracks in the glass if the ice-covered wipers slap down too hard when you lower them or if theyre blown down by the wind or some other force.

Glass.com puts it this way, a windshield wiper blade costs about $25 and takes about five minutes to replace. A windshield costs, on average, $350 and can take several hours to be replaced by a professional.

Instead of lifting your wipers, some suggestions are to cover the windshield with a blanket or tarp that you can later lift off, along with the snow or ice; cover the wipers with a towel; park in a garage; or just be patient and let your cars defroster do what its designed for.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com.

Read the original:
Should you leave your windshield wipers up during a storm? Its debatable. - NJ.com