Winter storms and extreme cold: how to prepare at home and on the road

Winter storms can cut off whole communities within hours. Roads close, trains stop and in rural areas the power can be off for days because of fallen poles and lines weighed down by ice. The 2021 Texas freeze, which left millions without power and heat for days, showed how quickly cold becomes a life-threatening emergency. Winter tests exactly the things we take for granted: heat, water and getting around.

Before winter

• Service the boiler and sweep the chimney, if you have a stove or fireplace.
• Insulate pipes in unheated areas (basement, attic, garage).
• Check windows and doors: worn seals let the cold in.
• Build your home supplies for 1 to 2 weeks: water, food, medicines, light. See home emergency supplies.
• Have thick blankets, sleeping bags and thermal clothing for everyone.
• Prepare the car: winter tires where needed, antifreeze screenwash, a tested battery and the winter kit in the trunk.
• If you heat with wood, stock up early and keep it dry.

When a storm is forecast

• Follow the weather warnings. At orange or red, avoid any journey that isn’t absolutely necessary.
• Charge phones, power banks and your power station if you have one.
• Fill the car’s tank.
• Make sure you have at least a week of medicines.
• Bring animals into shelter and give them water that won’t freeze.

During the storm, at home

• Stay indoors. If you must go out (to animals, for example), run a rope between the house and the outbuilding: in a heavy blizzard people can get lost a few meters from their door.
• If the heating stops, gather in one room, insulate the windows with blankets, wear layers and a hat, even indoors. See how to stay warm without power, safely.
• Let taps drip if the indoor temperature drops a lot, so pipes don’t freeze.
• Clear snow from flat roofs or outbuildings only if it can be done safely; a heavy load of snow can bring down weak structures.
• Watch the effort: shoveling snow is hard physical work that can trigger heart problems. Take frequent breaks.

On the road

If you’re snowed in in your car, stay in it. Call the emergency number, run the engine for about 10 minutes an hour for heat and keep checking the exhaust pipe isn’t blocked by snow. More in the car emergency kit guide.

Hypothermia and frostbite

Hypothermia happens when body temperature falls below 35°C (95°F). Signs: intense shivering, pale cold skin, clumsiness, slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness. Older people and small children are most at risk, even indoors if the temperature drops a lot.

What to do: call for emergency help, move the person somewhere warm, remove wet clothes, wrap them in blankets (including the head) and warm them gradually. If they’re conscious, give warm sweet drinks, no alcohol. Don’t rub them and don’t put them in hot water.

Frostbite usually affects fingers, toes, nose, ears and cheeks: the skin turns white or grayish, hard and numb. Warm the area gradually with lukewarm (not hot) water or body heat. Don’t rub it with snow or warm it directly against a stove. Get medical help.

Winter checklist

• The boiler and chimney have been checked
• There are blankets and sleeping bags for the whole family
• I have a week’s supply of water, food and medicines
• I have flashlights, batteries and a radio
• I have a working carbon monoxide alarm
• The car has winter tires (where needed) and the winter kit in the trunk
• Pipes in cold areas are insulated

See also: stuck in a car in snow, carbon monoxide poisoning and the winter preparedness checklist.