Winter is knocking — and it is about to impact your car.

Arizona's Snowbowl saw two inches of snow just days ago. Meteorologists say the best chance for the season's first widespread frosts will hit Monday through Wednesday morning, with some of the coldest spots in the northern Great Lakes, upstate New York and New England already seeing theirs.

(MORE: First snow of the season hits Arizona Snowbowl in Flagstaff)

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Wherever you are, that first hard freeze doesn't wait for a warning — it just happens, quietly turning your car into a different kind of storage space than the one you got used to all summer.

All those months, the back seat and trunk turned into a junk drawer — sunscreen, snacks, a gym bag and old sports gear. But once temperatures drop below freezing, some of those forgotten items can crack, rupture or get ruined for good.

Here's what to bring inside before the cold catches up to you.

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(MORE: Our complete coverage of El Niño)

1. Medications

Insulin and similar medications freeze at 32 degrees and are permanently ruined once frozen — even if they look fine after thawing. Never store these in the glove box or trunk.

2. Bottled and canned drinks

Soda freezes around 30 degrees. It's not just the ice — trapped CO2 pressure can cause the can or bottle to burst.

3. Phones and electronics

The cold itself is usually temporary; your battery recovers once it warms up. The real danger is charging a phone while it's still cold, which can cause permanent damage. Let it sit 20 to 30 minutes before plugging in.

4. Aerosol products

Sunscreen, spray paint and bug spray — the cold can destabilize the pressurized contents inside. The bigger risk often comes when it warms back up quickly, like when the heater blasts on.

5. Musical instruments

Wood contracts and can crack, finishes can spider-crack and glue joints — like a guitar's bridge — can loosen.

6. Sports gear

Rubber and foam go stiff and brittle in the cold. Bowling balls are the clearest example: the core and shell contract at different rates and can crack.

7. Kids' items

The same risks — meds, drinks and electronics — often hide in a diaper bag or car seat pocket, making them easy to forget.

(MORE: Our winter coverage)

Faiza Mohammed is a meteorologist intern at weather.com. She studied geography and worked with the Weather Dawgs team at the University of Georgia. She also received her master's in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology.