Why Your Garage Door Won’t Open in Winter and What to Do About It in Lakeville

If you live in Lakeville, you already know winter loves to mess with anything that moves. Cars. Door locks. And yes, garage doors.

One of the most common calls we get in the colder months is a homeowner saying something like, I pressed the button and nothing happened. Or it started to lift and then it stopped. Or it sounded like it was trying, but the door did not move at all.

Most of the time, the cause is something simple. Other times, it is a warning sign that a part is about to fail, or already has.

Let’s walk through the most common winter reasons your garage door will not open, what you can safely try, and when it is smarter to stop and call a pro.

First, figure out what kind of stuck you have

Before you start troubleshooting, take ten seconds to notice what the door is doing.

If the opener runs but the door does not move

That usually points to a door problem, not a remote problem. In winter, it is often a frozen bottom seal, a disengaged trolley, or a spring issue.

If the opener hums or clicks and then stops

That often means the opener senses resistance and shuts itself down to prevent damage. Cold weather can make your whole door system feel heavier than normal.

If nothing happens at all

Start with the simple stuff first. Check power to the opener, try the wall button, and replace the remote battery.

If the door moves a few inches and stops

This often happens when something is blocking movement. Ice near the track. Sensors acting up. Rollers binding. Or the door is out of balance.

The number one winter culprit in Lakeville: the door is frozen to the ground

This is the classic Minnesota scenario. Snow melts during the day, moisture sneaks under the bottom seal, then it refreezes overnight and the door basically glues itself to the concrete.

What you can safely try

1. Stop pressing the opener button repeatedly. That is how motors get strained.

2. Look at the base of the door from inside the garage.

3. Use a hair dryer on a low setting to warm the bottom seal area.

4. If you can access the outside, clear snow packed against the door.

5. Use warm water sparingly along the seal line, then dry the area so it does not refreeze.

If the door releases and moves normally after that, you likely solved it.

If it still will not release, do not force it. Something else is going on.

Ice or packed snow in the tracks can stop the door fast

Sometimes the door is not frozen to the floor. Instead, ice builds up in the lower track area, or packed snow presses against the rollers and makes the door bind.

Take a flashlight and look down both track sides near the bottom. If you see ice sitting where the roller needs to pass, that alone can stop the whole system.

If you remove snow and loose ice and the door still binds, the door may be telling you it needs service, not just a quick cleanup.

Cold weather can make a healthy door feel sluggish, but it should not feel unsafe

Garage doors are heavy. Springs do the heavy lifting. The opener is basically there to guide the door, not drag a stubborn door up every day.

Winter can make parts stiffer and lubrication less effective. That means a door that already has worn rollers, hinges, or springs might suddenly feel rough in January even if it seemed okay in October.

Common winter warning signs

1. The door moves slower than usual

2. It shakes or jerks while opening

3. It gets louder, especially near the bottom

4. It stops and reverses with no obvious reason

If this sounds like your door, it is usually a tune up and inspection situation, not a wait and hope situation.

If you want to get ahead of it, this is where our Garage Door Maintenance service is meant to help, because it catches small issues before they turn into a door that will not open at all.

Safety sensors act up in winter more than people expect

Sensors sit near the floor, which means they take the brunt of slush, salt residue, dust, and even condensation.

If your door refuses to close or starts to close and then reverses, sensors are a good thing to check.

Quick sensor check

1. Wipe both sensor lenses with a clean dry cloth

2. Make sure nothing is stored near the sensor line

3. Confirm both sensors are facing each other and not bumped crooked

If your sensor lights look odd or the door still will not behave, it may be a wiring or alignment issue that needs a technician.

The big one: a broken spring can look like a winter problem, but it is a safety problem

If you heard a loud bang in the garage recently, and now your door barely moves or will not lift, there is a good chance a spring broke.

Signs your spring may be broken

1. The opener runs but the door does not lift

2. The door feels extremely heavy when you try to lift it manually

3. You see a gap in the torsion spring above the door

4. The door lifts unevenly or looks crooked

This is one of those moments where I always tell homeowners the same thing: if it feels heavy, stop. Do not try to muscle it up. A garage door is the largest moving object in the home, and when springs are not supporting it properly, things can get dangerous fast.

A solid safety resource for homeowners is DASMA’s garage door safety guidance, which clearly explains why certain repairs and adjustments are not a DIY situation.

When the opener is the problem

Sometimes the door is fine, but the opener is not.

In winter, we see:

1. Weak remote batteries that quit faster in the cold

2. Keypads acting inconsistent during freezing temps

3. Opener strain when the door system is stiff or unbalanced

4. Force settings that are not suited for winter resistance

If the door is not frozen and the tracks are clear, but the opener still struggles, it may be time for opener repair or replacement.

A safe troubleshooting checklist you can follow today

If your garage door will not open, here is a safe order to try things.

1. Try the wall button and make sure the opener has power

2. Replace the remote battery if it is acting inconsistent

3. Check the base for ice bonding at the bottom seal

4. Clear snow and loose ice near the tracks

5. Wipe the sensor lenses and clear the sensor area

6. If the door feels heavy or the opener runs but the door does not lift, stop and assume it could be a spring issue

If anything feels unsafe, heavy, or crooked, that is a professional repair situation.

How to prevent winter garage door problems next time

A few habits make a big difference in Lakeville winters.

1. Clear snow away from the base of the door before it melts and refreezes

2. Avoid letting water pool near the door threshold right before a freeze

3. Schedule a tune up in fall so everything is inspected and moving smoothly

4. Replace worn weather seals that let water creep under the door

5. Do not ignore new noises, because noise is often the first warning sign

When you should call The Garage Door Doctor

Call for help if:

1. The door is stuck and you need access fast

2. You suspect a spring broke

3. The door is crooked or shaking hard

4. The opener strains, stops repeatedly, or the door reverses constantly

5. The door feels heavy or unsafe

If you are in Lakeville or nearby, we can diagnose it quickly and get you back to a door that runs safe, smooth, and steady.

Call to action: Schedule service through our Contact page or visit our Garage Door Repair page to get help booked.

Helpful resources for homeowners

If you want a quick safety read from an industry source, DASMA has a solid overview of garage door system safety.

If you want a deeper guide on automatic opener safety and maintenance, DASMA also publishes a homeowner focused PDF that covers safe use and maintenance reminders.