Well for the next few days you won’t have to worry about freezing temps, but the weather will change back to snow and cold. The camp for leaving them up or down is divided. The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) recommends keeping the wiper blades down because raising them is likely to reduce their pressure against the windshield over time, resulting in possible visibility issues, especially in snowy conditions. As well, one or both wipers could snap back suddenly and create a crack in the windshield. Jeremy Elliot of the weather network also suggested that keeping the blades upright does not reduce the wear and tear significantly. In fact, keeping them elevated tires out the wiper arm springs.
On the other side of the coin, several wiper blade manufacturers such as Rain-X recommend pulling the wiper blades away from the windshield during the winter months to prevent ice buildup on the rubber squeegee and to eliminate the possibility of them sticking to the windshield. Lifting the wiper blades makes it easier to scrape your windshield when you get out to your car. It also reduces wear and tear on the rubber wiper blades because they are not freezing to the glass and being scraped off by your scraper.
Sifting through the facts, the conclusion that it comes down to convenience and preference. If you find that lifting them up before it gets icy works for you, feel free to keep doing it. If you don’t think it makes any difference, keep them down.
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