CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With freezing temperatures and scattered rainfall, your car door might be giving you a little trouble this Friday morning.
It's not something we have to deal with often in South Texas, but your car door can absolutely get frozen shut. Here's what to do if you're dealing with that this morning.
First of all, don't yank on the handle! Car door handles are only there to disengage the mechanism, and most of them can't take that much force. If the door's not going anywhere, don't try to force it.
Instead, try a pitcher of warm water. Pouring that around the frame and the lock can help to melt the ice. From there its just a matter of pushing at the edges to break any remaining ice.
However, DO NOT use hot water. Only use lukewarm, at temperatures you could comfortably rest your hand in. Anything more, and the temperature shock could break your car window, or damage your paint.
Most of all, prevention is best. So if you go driving and then park again, try to store your car in a location like a garage or other indoor location.
Failing that, shutting a plastic bag into the door can help to stop ice from building up.
Once you've gotten into your vehicle, just remember... Drive safe. Roads are icy this morning, so take it slow and careful.
You can follow our live blog and stay with us on social media like Facebook and Twitter for more updates on the weather.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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