Winter storms rarely give much warning about how bad they will be. A little prep in the fall turns an ice storm or a three-day outage from a crisis into an inconvenience. This guide walks through what to do before winter, what to keep on hand, and how to make a simple plan your whole household can follow. For official guidance where you live, check Ready.gov, your local emergency management office and your utility companies.
1. Before winter: get the house ready
Most cold-weather damage comes from a few predictable problems: frozen pipes, heating trouble, ice dams and blocked exits. A fall walk-through catches most of them.
- ☐ Have the furnace or heating system serviced and replace the filter
- ☐ Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and change batteries
- ☐ Know where the main water shut-off is and make sure it turns
- ☐ Insulate pipes in unheated spaces like crawl spaces, garages and exterior walls
- ☐ Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor faucets if you have an inside valve
- ☐ Clean gutters so melting snow can drain
- ☐ Check weatherstripping on doors and windows
- ☐ Have chimneys and wood stoves inspected before use
- ☐ Put a shovel, ice melt or sand where you can reach it from inside
2. Write down the information you will need
When the power is out and your phone battery is low, a written list beats searching. Keep a short page with your utility outage numbers, insurance company and policy number, a plumber and electrician, and two neighbors you can check on. Note where the water shut-off, electrical panel and gas shut-off are, and sketch them if it helps someone else find them.
3. Supplies to have on hand
Aim for enough for your household to manage at home for several days. Official guidance often suggests at least 3 days of supplies; adjust for your situation.
- ☐ Water: about 1 gallon per person per day
- ☐ Food that needs no cooking, plus a manual can opener
- ☐ Flashlights and extra batteries (avoid candles where possible)
- ☐ A battery or hand-crank radio for alerts
- ☐ Phone power banks, charged
- ☐ Warm blankets, hats, gloves and layers for everyone
- ☐ First aid kit and a supply of prescription medications
- ☐ Pet food, water and supplies
- ☐ Ice melt, a shovel and a bag of sand or cat litter for traction
Track what you have, what you need and where it is stored, so you do not buy duplicates or find dead batteries in the middle of a storm.
4. Make a power outage plan
Decide ahead of time where the household will stay warm, how you will keep phones charged and who will check on whom. Never run a generator, grill or camp stove indoors or in a garage: carbon monoxide can kill. Keep the fridge and freezer closed as much as you can, and follow food safety guidance on what to throw out after a long outage. If anyone relies on powered medical equipment, talk to your doctor and utility about a backup plan before winter.
5. Prepare your car
- ☐ Keep the gas tank at least half full in winter
- ☐ Ice scraper and snow brush
- ☐ Blanket, warm layers and gloves
- ☐ Phone charger
- ☐ Jumper cables
- ☐ Flashlight and a small first aid kit
- ☐ Water and snacks
- ☐ Sand or traction mats
6. People and pets who need extra help
Older relatives, neighbors living alone, babies and anyone with medical needs are most at risk in cold and outages. Write down who will check on them and how. Bring pets indoors, keep extra food and water, and wipe paws after walks on salted sidewalks.
7. During and after the storm
Stay off icy roads if you can, keep a simple log of outages and damage with dates and photos (useful for insurance), and clear vents for furnaces and dryers after heavy snow. After the storm, note what worked and what you ran out of, and add it to next year's list.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for the forecast. Stores sell out of batteries, salt and bottled water the day before a big storm. Buy in the fall.
- Forgetting to rotate. Check supply dates each fall and use up food and water before they expire.
- Only one flashlight. Put one in each bedroom and one in the kitchen so nobody walks around in the dark.
- No plan for the cold. Pick one room to keep warm, close off unused rooms, and hang blankets over doorways. If your home gets dangerously cold, go to a warming center or a friend's home.
- Letting pipes freeze. During deep cold, let faucets drip and open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls. If a pipe bursts, shut off the main water valve first.
This checklist is general information, not professional safety advice. Follow instructions from local officials during an emergency.