The Reasons For and Against Parking in Your Garage in Winter

No matter how many times it happens, it always feels great to go out to your car in the morning knowing that, because you parked it in the garage during the snow storm last night, you can hop in and drive away without having to chisel and scrape.

Your garage offers your car year-round protection. In summer, its paint and finish are shielded from the sun’s damaging rays. In winter, instead of being clogged with snow and ice, they all melt away after you park in the garage. (Even if your garage isn’t heated, the heat from the engine usually melts the snow and ice.)

But the idea that it’s best to keep your car in the garage in winter has been challenged by those who say it could actually damage the car’s body panels, seals and under carriage.

In an article in the Globe & Mail, two Canadian college professors outline the reasons why:

Moving your car in and out of the garage causes snow and ice to melt and refreeze, which can reduce the life of the seals on your car

In the dampness of the garage, the car can more often be wet than dry and, combined with the presence of salt, those conditions can promote premature rusting

One of the main problems is, while the melting of the snow and ice after you park in your garage creates the illusion that the car is ‘clean’, the reality can be opposite. Even if the temperatures in your garage are high enough to evaporate moisture, garages are generally not well enough ventilated to thoroughly dry the car.

While the jury’s still out on whether it’s good or bad to park in the garage in winter, the choice is yours. If you don’t notice any premature corrosion, and you absolutely love walking out to a clean car in the mornings, then the garage is the place for you.