Getting Your Home Ready for a Winter Storm

Winter storms tend to arrive with some warning, which is good news for anyone who likes to plan. A few days of forecasts leave time to finish small tasks, but the most useful preparations happen earlier in the season, while stores are calm and the weather is mild.

This guide covers getting the house ready, what to do once a storm is forecast, staying warm and safe if the power goes out, and preparing your car.

Understand the alerts

The National Weather Service uses a few key terms:

• Winter Storm Watch: conditions are favorable for a significant winter storm. Review your plan and supplies.
• Winter Storm Warning: a significant winter storm is occurring or expected soon. Stay off the roads if you can and finish your preparations.
• Winter Weather Advisory: winter weather is expected that could cause significant inconvenience, especially for travel.

A battery-powered weather radio and phone alerts help you follow changes, even during a power outage.

Before the season: prepare the house

Early fall is a good time to work through a winter checklist:

• Have your heating system serviced, and have chimneys and flues inspected and cleaned if you use a fireplace or wood stove.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries as needed. Make sure there are carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas and on every level.
• Insulate exposed pipes in crawlspaces, attics, garages and exterior walls.
• Find your main water shutoff valve so you can turn off the water quickly if a pipe bursts.
• Seal drafts with weatherstripping and caulk around doors and windows.
• Clear gutters so melting snow can drain away.
• Stock winter supplies: a snow shovel, ice melt or sand, extra blankets and warm layers for everyone.

When a storm is forecast

Once a storm is on the way, top off your supplies so you could stay home comfortably for several days without power:

• Water and easy-to-prepare food for at least several days
• Flashlights, a radio and spare batteries
• Charged phones and backup batteries
• Prescription medications and pet supplies
• Fuel for your car, and generator fuel if you have one, stored safely outside the living space

Bring pets indoors, move vehicles off the street if your town asks residents to make room for plows, and check on older neighbors and relatives to make sure they are ready too.

Prevent frozen pipes

Frozen pipes can burst and cause serious water damage. During deep cold:

• Let a trickle of cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warmer air can reach the plumbing.
• Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night.
• If you travel, leave the heat on. The American Red Cross suggests setting it no lower than 55°F.

If a pipe does freeze, never use an open flame to thaw it. Gentle heat, such as a hair dryer, is safer, and a plumber can help if you cannot find or reach the frozen section.

Staying warm safely during an outage

Heating is where winter emergencies can become dangerous, mainly because of fire and carbon monoxide.

• Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
• Never use a grill, camp stove or generator indoors, in a garage or near windows and doors.
• Use space heaters with care. Keep them at least 3 feet from anything that can burn, plug them directly into a wall outlet, and turn them off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Close off unused rooms and gather in one room. Roll towels against the bottoms of doors and cover windows at night.
• Dress in layers, wear a hat indoors if needed and keep blankets within reach.
• Eat and drink regularly. Food gives the body energy to produce heat.

It also helps to know the warning signs of cold-related illness. The CDC lists signs of hypothermia as shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness. Signs of frostbite include redness or pain in the skin, followed by numbness and skin that looks white or grayish-yellow or feels unusually firm or waxy. Seek medical care for either condition, and call 911 if symptoms are severe.

Prepare your car

If you must drive in winter weather, keep a winter kit in the car:

• Blankets and extra hats and gloves
• An ice scraper and a small shovel
• Sand or cat litter for traction
• Jumper cables and a flashlight
• Water, snacks and a phone charger
• A brightly colored cloth to signal for help

If you become stranded, Ready.gov and the National Weather Service advise staying with your vehicle unless help is visible close by. Run the engine for about 10 minutes each hour for heat, make sure the exhaust pipe is clear of snow, and open a window slightly while the engine is running. Turn on the dome light while the engine runs at night so rescuers can spot you.

After the storm

Shovel slowly and take frequent breaks, since clearing heavy snow is strenuous work. Clear snow away from dryer and furnace vents, exhaust pipes and your gas meter. Check on neighbors once more, then restock whatever you used so you are ready for the next storm.

This article offers general preparedness information and is not professional advice. Always follow the instructions of local officials during an emergency. Spotted an error? Email support@preparedamerican.net. Read our editorial standards.