8 things you shouldn’t leave in your freezing-cold car

A winter storm dumped snow and ice along the East Coast and turned into a “bomb cyclone” in New England. With temperatures at extreme lows, here are some things you shouldn’t leave in your car:

❚ Cellphones. Apple advises against storing the iPhone or iPad at temperatures below minus 4 degrees. Recommendations are similar for Samsung phones and other electronics.

❚ Soda or beer. Water expands when it freezes. For canned liquids under pressure, that can mean explosions.

❚ Musical instruments. If your instrument is made of real wood, the cold air can cause cracking.

❚ Eggs. They shouldn’t be allowed to freeze in their shells; if that happens, throw away any cracked eggs. Keep the uncracked ones frozen, and move them to the refrigerator before use, although the yolks may not blend well in recipes.

❚ Canned foods. Letting a can of beans freeze allows for the water to freeze and expand in a similar way to beer and soda. The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises that this can result in a broken seal, causing spoilage.

❚ Medication. “Drugs like insulin can lose their effectiveness if they freeze. The same goes for any so-called suspended medication that has to be shaken before use,” according to a report in The New York Times.

❚ Loved ones. Children and elderly people can be more susceptible to hypothermia, which has symptoms such as shivering, confusion and exhaustion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The same goes for pets.

❚ A low gas tank. Keeping a fuel tank more than half-full helps to prevent fuel lines from freezing.