Roanoke, VA – As Virginia braces for the first snow of the season, particularly along I-81, state transportation officials are warning drivers to expect slick roads and colder nights. 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 car became buried after a snowstorm on December 19, and he lived on snow alone as temperatures plunged to -30°C (-22°F).
Experts described the case as “astonishing.” Some suggested his body entered a hibernation-like state, slowing his metabolism, while others credited the “igloo effect” of the snow-covered car, which insulated enough warmth to sustain him.
When rescuers reached him, he was emaciated and barely conscious, wrapped in a sleeping bag with only cigarettes and comic books nearby. Doctors at Umea University Hospital confirmed he suffered from severe hypothermia and malnourishment—but survived.
With early snow arriving ahead of Thanksgiving, Virginia officials are reminding residents to carry emergency kits in their vehicles, including blankets, snacks, and water. As the Commonwealth enters the colder months, one chilling question remains: Could you survive stuck on I-81 for two months like he did?
