Birmingham, AL – With first frosts on the horizon across Alabama, forecasters say overnight lows will dip near freezing by the weekend, signaling the start of the state’s cold season. But imagine being trapped inside your car for two months, surviving only on handfuls of snow.
According to the Daily Mail, a 44-year-old Swedish man was discovered in February 2012 after surviving roughly 60 days snowed-in inside his car near the town of Umea in northern Sweden. Authorities said his vehicle became buried after a snowstorm on December 19, and he lived on snow alone as temperatures dropped to -30°C (-22°F).
Experts called his survival “extraordinary.” Some theorized his body entered a hibernation-like state, slowing his metabolism, while others credited the “igloo effect” of the snow-covered car, which trapped just enough warmth to sustain him.
When rescuers found him, he was emaciated and barely conscious, wrapped in a sleeping bag with only cigarettes and comic books beside him. Doctors at Umea University Hospital confirmed he was suffering from severe hypothermia and malnourishment—but miraculously survived.
As frosts begin to form across Alabama’s valleys and rural highways, emergency officials urge residents to prepare winter safety kits with blankets, food, and water in their vehicles. While Alabama won’t see subzero conditions like Sweden, even mild freezes can become dangerous if stranded. One chilling question remains: Could you survive stuck in freezing conditions like he did?
