Albany, NY – As New York welcomes the first snow of the season, especially along I-87, winter driving conditions are once again becoming a concern. But imagine being trapped in 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 survived on snow alone as temperatures plunged to -30°C (-22°F).
Experts called the 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 insulated enough warmth to keep him alive.
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 said he was suffering from severe hypothermia and malnourishment—but still alive.
With early snow hitting New York before Thanksgiving, state officials are urging drivers to pack emergency kits with blankets, food, and water before heading out on icy roads. As the Empire State faces its first true taste of winter, one chilling question remains: Could you survive stuck on I-87 for two months like he did?
