Windshield Wipers Up or Down in a Michigan Winter?

What a storm we're having in Michigan. It's a tough travel day across most of Michigan. If your car sits out, or will be out in the winter weather for any length of time, what should you do with your windshield wipers? The big debate is, Up, or, down?

People say that when leaving them down they may freeze to the the windshield and that makes it harder to scrape snow and ice off. Putting them up means it's easier. However, is this the right thing to do?

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Opinions differ on this question. Proponents of "UP" say this way you won't damage the rubber blade when trying to pry it off your windshield and it's much easier to clear your windshield before you put them down.

Proponents of "DOWN" say with big wind gusts in storms, they could be damaged or blown off your car.

John Paul, the resident automotive expert at the American Automobile Association says:

"Leaving the wipers up for an extended period of time can damage the springs that hold the wipers to the windshield."

Also, "leaving the wiper blades up can permanently stretch the springs and lead to poor wipe quality," according to AutoZone.

So for safety sake it seems you should probably leave them down. But what should you do when you come out to your car covered with snow and the wipers are stuck to the windshield? Should you pull them up so you can scrape underneath them?

Do not do that because that soft rubber can rip and tear, and then you have streaks all over your windshield because of the blade damage. Experts say your defroster should do the trick to melt that little bit of ice so you can use your wipers without damage.

Good luck!