Winter storm checklist for your home and car

Winter storms cause trouble well beyond snow country: ice brings down power lines, and cold snaps freeze pipes in homes that weren't built for them. A few things done now cover most of it.

Reviewed October 2026

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NOAA expects a very strong El Niño this winter, which tends to steer more storms across the southern half of the country and up the East Coast. See what NOAA's outlook says for your ZIP code on Weather Info.

Know the alerts

Freezing rain coats roads, walkways and power lines in ice, and is often more dangerous than snow. Sleet is rain that freezes into pellets before it lands, and makes roads slippery.

Get your home ready

• Have supplies for at least three days without power or a trip to the store: water, food that needs no cooking, medicine, flashlights and batteries. Our supply calculator works out the amounts for your household.
• Keep salt or sand and a shovel for steps and walkways.
• Protect your pipes. Insulate pipes in unheated spaces such as crawl spaces and garages, know where your main water shut-off is, and on the coldest nights let a faucet drip and open cabinet doors under sinks.
• Test your carbon monoxide alarms. Heaters, generators and blocked vents cause CO poisoning in winter. See our smoke and CO alarm check.
• Plan for an outage. If the power goes out in cold weather, see our power outage guide for keeping warm and keeping food safe.

Winter car emergency kit

The CDC recommends keeping these in your car through the winter:

• Getting unstuck: shovel, windshield scraper, road salt and sand, booster cables, tow chain or rope, and tire chains where they're allowed
• Repairs and signaling: tool kit, emergency tire sealant, emergency flares, a bright flag or help sign
• Staying warm: blankets, plus extra hats, coats and mittens
• Staying fed and in touch: water, snack food, a phone charger and extra batteries, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight
• Just in case: first aid kit, road maps, waterproof matches and a can to melt snow for water

Keep your gas tank close to full in winter, both so you have heat if you're stranded and so condensation doesn't freeze in the fuel line.

If you're stranded in your car

• Stay with your car unless help is visible close by. It's your shelter, and it's easier for rescuers to find than a person on foot.
• Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow, and run the engine only in short spells for heat, with a window cracked slightly. A blocked exhaust can fill the car with carbon monoxide.
• Make yourself visible: tie a bright cloth to the antenna or door, and turn on the dome light at night when the engine is running.
• Keep moving a little to stay warm, and huddle together under blankets.

Cold weather and your body

Wind makes cold air far more dangerous to exposed skin. Check how cold it really feels with the wind chill calculator, and watch for the signs of frostbite (numb, white or grayish skin) and hypothermia (shivering, confusion, slurred speech, drowsiness). Get medical help right away if someone's body temperature drops below 95°F.