A winter storm can cause problems long after the snow stops. Roads close, power lines come down and, as the National Weather Service warns, fuel carriers may not reach you for days. The best time to prepare is before the forecast turns. Here is a checklist for your home, sorted by how much time you have.
Know what the alerts mean
The National Weather Service uses specific terms, and each one calls for a different response:
- Winter Storm Watch: conditions are favorable for a significant winter storm. This is your time to get ready.
- Winter Storm Warning: a significant winter weather event, including snow, ice, sleet or blowing snow, that makes travel very difficult or impossible. Postpone trips until the weather improves.
- Winter Weather Advisory: wintry precipitation is expected, but not severe enough for a warning. Expect slippery roads and drive carefully.
- Ice Storm Warning: usually issued for ice accumulation of around 1/4 inch or more.
- Blizzard Warning: frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that sharply cuts visibility. Avoid travel.
Before the season starts
- Keep the cold out. Ready.gov recommends insulation, caulking and weather stripping.
- Test your alarms. Install and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backups.
- Service your heating. The CDC advises having your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil or coal appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
- Sort out a backup heat source, such as a fireplace or wood stove, and make sure it's properly ventilated.
- Find your water shutoff, and work out which pipes are exposed.
- Winterize your car. More on that below.
Your winter storm emergency kit
Ready.gov's advice is to gather supplies in case you need to stay home for several days without power. Start with our full emergency supplies list, and make sure these are covered for winter:
- Water, at about one gallon per person per day, and food that needs no cooking or refrigeration.
- Flashlights or headlamps, a lantern and spare batteries.
- A way to charge your phone, such as a solar power bank, charged in advance.
- Warm bedding for each person. A sleeping bag rated to 10°F is a good backup when the heat is off.
- Prescription medicine, baby items and first aid supplies.
- A fire extinguisher, extra pet food and a warm place for pets.
- A shovel, plus sand or ice melt.
When a watch is issued
- Top up your heating fuel. Refuel before you're empty.
- Fill your gas tank. Ready.gov suggests keeping a full tank.
- Charge everything: phones, power banks and rechargeable lights.
- Refill prescriptions and pick up any food or water you're short on.
- Bring pets inside, and move other animals to shelter with food and water.
- Check in with neighbors who may need help.
When a warning is issued
- Get home and stay there. Ready.gov says to find shelter right away and stay off the roads if at all possible.
- Protect your pipes. The American Red Cross recommends letting cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes, opening kitchen and bathroom cabinets so warm air reaches the plumbing, and keeping the thermostat at one temperature day and night.
- Keep vents clear. The National Weather Service says to make sure your carbon monoxide detector works and the outside vent stays clear of snow during and after the storm.
- Take it slow outside. Ready.gov warns against overexertion when shoveling or walking in snow because of the risk of a heart attack. Wear warm layers and limit your time outdoors.
How to stay warm without power
If the heat goes out, focus on keeping people warm rather than the whole house:
- Pick one room, ideally a small one, and close the doors to the others.
- Layer up, including a hat and dry socks, and change out of anything damp.
- Sleep in the same room, with a sleeping bag or warm blankets for each person.
- Add safe, low-tech heat. A 2 liter hot water bottle warms a bed or a pair of cold feet. Follow the directions for filling it, and keep a cover between the bottle and your skin.
- Use only what's safe indoors. Ready.gov says to use generators and grills outdoors and away from windows, and never to heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven. Carbon monoxide has no color or smell, so a working detector matters.
- Leave if you can't stay warm. Check with local officials for warming centers, and go while it's still safe to travel.
See what to do during a power outage for food safety and phone power.
Know the signs of cold injury
These signs come from Ready.gov. If you suspect either one, get medical help.
- Frostbite: numbness, white or grayish-yellow skin, or firm or waxy skin. Go to a warm room and don't massage the area or use a heating pad.
- Hypothermia: shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness. A body temperature below 95°F is an emergency. Warm the center of the body first, and keep the person dry and wrapped in warm blankets, including the head and neck.
If you have to be on the road
Avoid driving if you can. If you can't, tell someone your route and timing. The National Weather Service also recommends checking fluids, lights, heater and wipers before you leave. Keep these in the car:
- Jumper cables, a shovel, and sand or cat litter for traction.
- A flashlight, a phone charger and a first aid kit.
- Warm clothes and blankets. A set of emergency sleeping bags takes up very little room.
- Bottled water and high-calorie, non-perishable snacks.
If you get stranded, Ready.gov says to stay inside your car.
After the storm
Clear snow from vents, check your pipes and restock your kit. If a pipe has frozen, the Red Cross says not to thaw it with a blowtorch or any other open flame. You'll find the supplies mentioned here in our Emergency Supplies and Survival Gear collections.
Activearo Outdoor sells some of the gear linked in this article. You don't need it to follow this guidance, which comes from the public sources listed below. Check those and your local officials for anything specific to your area.