How to stay safe at home in a winter storm

Last checked against the sources below: November 3, 2026. Written by Bloomsteader LLC. General information only.

In immediate danger? Call 911 for suspected hypothermia, or if a carbon monoxide alarm sounds or someone has symptoms (after everyone is outside). Never heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven.

Short answer: Stay indoors and limit your time outside. Heat safely: never use a gas stovetop or oven for heat, and keep generators and grills outside, at least 20 feet from windows and doors. Know the signs of hypothermia and frostbite, check on neighbors if it's safe, and know where you'd go if your home loses heat.

During the storm

Stay inside and limit your time outdoors. Avoid travel unless you have to go.
Listen for current emergency information and alerts.
Wear layers of warm clothing, indoors and out.
Take breaks when shoveling. Winter storms bring a higher risk of heart attacks from overexertion.
Check on family and neighbors if it's safe to do so.

Keep warm without carbon monoxide or fire

Never heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven.
Use generators and grills only outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows and doors.
Never leave a vehicle running in a garage, even with the door open.
Use fireplaces, portable heaters and wood stoves only as designed, and keep portable heaters at least 3 feet from anything that can burn.
When it's safe to go outside, make sure snow isn't blocking your gas furnace vent.
Keep smoke and carbon monoxide alarms working, with battery backup.
Close off unused rooms and block drafts under doors with towels.

If the power or heat goes out

Follow the steps in the power outage guide.
Think about safety before leaving home. Consider spending the coldest part of the day somewhere with heat.
Find out now where your nearest warming center is. Public libraries and shopping malls can also help if they're open.
Don't store food outside or in the snow.

Warning signs of cold injury

Condition	Signs	What to do
Hypothermia	Adults: shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech, drowsiness. Infants: bright red, cold skin and very low energy.	Treat it as an emergency, and get medical help right away. Move the person somewhere warm, remove wet clothes and wrap them in warm, dry blankets.
Frostbite	First, redness or pain. Then white or grayish-yellow skin, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, or numbness.	Get to a warm room and get medical care. If care isn't available right away, warm the area in warm, not hot, water, or with body heat. Don't rub or massage it. Don't use a stove, fireplace, radiator, heat lamp, heating pad or electric blanket, because numb skin burns easily. Don't walk on affected feet or toes unless you must.

Hypothermia can happen even above freezing. A body temperature below 95°F is an emergency.

If you're stuck in your car

Stay with the car. It's easy to get lost in blowing snow.
Run the engine about 10 minutes each hour for heat. While it runs, keep the tailpipe clear of snow and crack a window to avoid carbon monoxide.
Make the car easy to see: turn on the dome light at night, and tie bright cloth to the antenna or door.

Get ready before winter

Keep out the cold with insulation, caulking and weather stripping, and learn how to keep your pipes from freezing.
Gather supplies for several days, or build up to two weeks of water and food.
Make a plan for medicines and powered medical devices with your doctor.
Keep plenty of fuel in the car before a storm.
Keep a car kit: jumper cables, sand or cat litter, a flashlight, warm clothes, blankets, a shovel, an ice scraper, a snow brush, water and snacks.

Plan for the storm that knocks out the heat

Ready Homestead's questionnaire adds winter tasks if you get hard freezes or ice storms: one warm room, fuel, frozen pipes, heat without power and a household plan. $9.99 a month per household.

Ready Homestead is opening soon. Join the waitlist for one email when it does.

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Sources

These agencies don't endorse Ready Homestead. Local officials may give different instructions for your area: follow theirs.