Trick to free your car from snow and ice in NJ without tools

It's been quite a long time since New Jersey has seen a snowstorm like the one that hit the state on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. Not only did it have statewide impacts, it was also a multi-impact storm with rain, sleet, very fluffy snow, and varying temperatures.

I was covering this storm on the air and we legit had temperature spreads from as warm as 37 to as cold as 7. Absolutely insane to have those kind of numbers at the same time in a state as small as ours.

ALSO READ: Make a difference with just a few bucks during NJ snowstorms

Once the storm passed, it was time to dig ourselves out. And yes, that included our cars.

Unfortunately, our temperatures stayed in the freezer after the storm passed not allowing much snow melt to happen at all. So cold in fact, that salt and brine really didn't do anything to melt the snow and ice.

Stuck in the driveway

Like most of the state, our school district remained closed that Monday after the storm, which was absolutely the right move. And because of the insanely cold temperatures leading into the next morning, they decided to have a delayed opening on Tuesday.

After dropping my kids off at school and walking back to my car the next block over (our school doesn't have a parking lot), I noticed one mom trying to get her minivan out of her driveway, but was stuck.

No matter how hard she tried, the tires just kept spinning with the car remaining in place. As I walked closer, I offered to help get her vehicle free.

No four-wheel drive

I've been in this situation before. You have a two-wheel drive vehicle and it gets stuck in the snow because the drive tires can't get traction.

Yes, I know the experts all say to travel with a wooden board and different tools to free ourselves should that happen. But let's be real, how many of us are really going to drive around with all that stuff? Especially parents with all their kids stuff taking up the storage space in the back.

If you've ever found yourself in this situation, don't panic. There is one thing you can try to do to free yourself, even if you're alone. It's simply a matter of rocking the vehicle to get it free.

Back, forth, and (hopefully) free

The first thing I asked her to do was to shift into drive just so I can see if it was only stuck going in reverse. She moved forward a little bit before spinning, but that was about it.

So what I had her do was put it in reverse, give it gas, then come right off the pedal, and repeat. Slowly, her vehicle started rocking back and forth more in the driveway until eventually, it had enough momentum to get itself out of the depression and she was free.

Different transmissions

How you rock it is different for every vehicle as it really depends on how your transmission responds. Sometimes shifting back and forth from drive to reverse works better.

Sometimes, going from reverse and neutral and back to reverse again does the trick. Whatever it takes to get that rocking motion going (and if you need to go forward, use drive instead of reverse).

For manual transmissions, it's a matter of keeping it in gear and going on and off the clutch (stick shifts rock the vehicle much better than auto transmissions do).

Worth a shot

I can't promise this will definitely work, but it's worth a try if you don't have any other tools at your disposal. And if you have at least one other person with you, see if there's a spot outside the car where they can get solid footing and help rock the vehicle from the outside.

If you have any other helpful tips, please don't hesitate to share them in the comments. Getting stuck in the snow isn't fun, even if it's in your own driveway that's already been shoveled. Those slippery spots may still catch you off-guard.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.