What Is That Ice Buildup Called, and How Dangerous Is It For Michigander Drivers?

Michigan is dealing with some of the coldest weather in years with the forecast calling for a high of 5 tomorrow, 9 Saturday, and overnight lows at or below zero for the next few nights. The National Weather Service is calling for wind chills lows close to minus 20 tonight and tomorrow.

What Are “Snow Boogers” and Where Do They Come From?

With it being so cold, it got me wondering how much damage those little ‘ice boogers’ that build up under your car can be. That got me wondering if there was a technical term for these winter ‘chunkers’. Well after doing some research, we could not find any technical name for the ice buildup.

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We did, however, find a great list of some slang terms Michiganders and others who live in snowy areas call these things. Thanks to Oneupweb Digital Marketing and WITL, here’s the list we came up with:

Why Ice Buildup on Cars Is More Than Just Annoying

As funny as some of the nicknames are, it turns out these clumps can cause a lot of different problems. And these problems may not just affect you, but other drivers too. Ice buildup on your car, from the wheel wells or anywhere else, can cause serious damage, as well as injuries.

How Flying Ice Can Damage Cars and Injure Drivers

According to Bemac, during a harsh Michigan winter, flying ice can turn highways into danger zones in seconds. Ice breaking loose from vehicles can shatter windshields, dent metal, rip off mirrors, and scratch paint, causing costly repairs that often fall on the victim.

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Beyond vehicle damage, flying ice can seriously injure drivers and passengers or cause loss of control, leading to crashes. Clearing ice and snow and kicking off snow boogers isn’t just smart, it can prevent accidents, injuries, and even fatalities.