The Surprising Truth About Leaving Your Wipers Up in MN

Should You Leave Your Windshield Wipers Up or Down in Minnesota?

Every time it snows here in the Land of 10,000 Snow-And-Ice-Covered Lakes, a quiet but passionate debate often breaks out: should you leave your windshield wipers up or down?

Now that we just shoveled our way out of the biggest snowstorm of the winter season-- and more snow is on the way to Minnesota-- if you park your vehicle outside and not in a covered parking area, you have a major decision staring you in the face: Do you leave the windshield wipers up or down?

The Pros and Cons of the Great Winter Windshield Wiper Debate

It's a debate that's been around since automobiles have been present in the North Star State and other states where winter brings snow and ice: if you have to park your vehicle outside, should you leave your windshield wipers up or down when wintry weather is on the way?

Both the Wipers Up and Wipers Down camps have equal points, as this story from the Farmer's Almanac pointed out:

Wipers Up:
+ Prevents damage to the wiper motor, should you turn on the ignition and have accidentally left the wipers on (and they’re frozen to the windshield).
+ Prevents damaging the rubber, when you have to chisel them away from the windshield.
+ Makes clearing away snow and ice from the windshield easier.
Wipers Down:
+ Prevents damaging the springs inside or bending the blade arm.
+ Discourages vandalism.
+ A non-issue because the defroster releases frozen blades.

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Expert Advice: Why Leaving Your Wipers Up Might Be the Better Choice

But which one is actually the best for your vehicle? Well, again, there are two schools of thought, and both make several good points. Eerie Insurance talked to their material damage claims quality control manager, and the story noted that he said putting your wipers UP when it snows or when there's freezing rain or ice in the forecast might actually be a *bit* better.

That's because Eerie Insurance noted that the springs in wiper arms are much stronger these days, so leaving them up isn't likely to cause damage. And, Eerie notes, you're much more likely to cause damage to rubber wiper blades frozen to the windshield when you're trying to clear all that snow and ice.

Confirming that line of thinking, the Farmer's Almanac asked just over 600 of their readers several years ago whether they were in the Wipers Up or Wipers Down camp, and the results were pretty conclusive:

• Wipers Up - 68%
• Wipers Down - 32%

I have to say, I've lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota my entire life, and it never occurred to me to put my wipers up. However, there have been a few times when I'm pretty sure I've damaged a rubber wiper blade that was frozen to the windshield, so maybe I'll start putting them up.

What do YOU do? And, speaking of winter, scraping snow and ice off your vehicle has to be one of the least fun things to do. Keep scrolling to check some other things Minnesotans don't like about our cold-weather season!