--- title: Preparing Your Home for a Winter Storm description: What to do before, during, and after a winter storm to keep your home, pipes, and family safe. category: home tags: [winter-storm, emergency-prep, pipes, power-outage] version: "1.0" updated: 2026-10-21 moment: deep-winter sources: - name: Ready.gov / America's PrepareAthon — How to Prepare for a Winter Storm url: https://epc-assets.elpasoco.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/OEM/CERT/Guide-to-Winter-Storm-Preparedness.pdf - name: WTW — Winter storm preparedness: Essential tips to prepare your home and family url: https://www.wtwco.com/en-us/insights/2026/01/winter-storm-preparedness-essential-tips-to-prepare-your-home-and-family - name: Michigan.gov — Preparing For A Winter Storm url: https://www.michigan.gov/miready/be-informed/winter-prep/preparing-for-a-winter-storm - name: FEMA — Be Prepared for a Winter Storm url: https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/ready-gov_winter-storm_info-sheet.pdf - name: Ready.gov — Winter Weather url: https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather --- Deep winter is when storms, power outages, and frozen pipes all pile up at once. This isn't about general cold-weather readiness — it's about the handful of things that matter in the days right before and during a storm, so you're not caught scrambling when the warning goes out. Work through it once conditions turn, then again each time a new storm is forecast. ## When a Watch or Warning Is Issued - [ ] Check the forecast terms and timeline A Winter Storm Watch means a winter storm is possible in your area, while a Winter Storm Warning means it is occurring or will soon occur, so treat a Warning as your cue to stop prepping and hunker down. - [ ] Fill water containers and the bathtub `{when: well-water-or-history-of-outages}` `{essential}` Losing power often means losing water pressure too. - [ ] Stock three days of water and food per person `{essential}` At least three gallons of water per person and at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food per person, including anything that needs no cooking. - [ ] Refill prescription medications `{essential}` It's critical to refill prescriptions and have a basic first aid kit ready before the storm, not once you're already low. - [ ] Charge phones, power banks, and any medical devices Charge to full before the storm arrives. - [ ] Set the fridge and freezer to their coldest setting So food stays safe longer if the power goes out. - [ ] Bring in firewood or fuel `{when: has-fireplace-or-wood-stove}` Store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove since you may become isolated and regular fuel sources may be cut off. - [ ] Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors `{essential}` Ready.gov recommends installing and testing smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backups, and poisoning risk rises in winter from heating and generator use. - [ ] Bring pets indoors Bring pets/companion animals inside during winter weather, and move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas with non-frozen drinking water. ## Protecting the Pipes - [ ] Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls `{essential}` So warm air can reach the pipes. - [ ] Let faucets drip a thin, steady stream `{essential}` On exterior-wall plumbing during the coldest stretch; moving water is much less likely to freeze solid. - [ ] Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses Shut off the water to outside spigots if you have an interior shutoff for them. - [ ] Know where your main water shutoff valve is If a pipe does burst, this is the one thing that stops the flooding fast. - [ ] Set a minimum thermostat temperature before you leave home `{when: leaving-home-briefly}` So the house doesn't drop low enough for pipes to freeze while you're out. - [ ] Ask a neighbor to check your house `{when: traveling-or-property-empty-during-storm}` ## Backup Heat and Power - [ ] Never run a generator, grill, or camp stove indoors or in a garage `{essential}` Use generators outside only, and only use generators and grills outdoors and away from windows, since this is the single most common cause of winter CO deaths. - [ ] Never heat your home with a gas oven or stovetop Never heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven. - [ ] Set up any space heaters on a hard, level surface Away from curtains or bedding, and never leave them running unattended. - [ ] Locate flashlights, lanterns, and spare batteries Somewhere findable in the dark, since you won't want to go hunting once the power's already out. ## During the Storm - [ ] Stay indoors during the storm Stay off roads and stay indoors and dress warmly if you must go out. - [ ] Limit time outside Dress in layers if you do go out, and watch for signs of frostbite, including loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. - [ ] Pace yourself shoveling snow Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow, which can bring on a heart attack, a major cause of death in the winter. - [ ] Change out of wet clothing quickly Keep dry, and change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat, since wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly. - [ ] Check on anyone elderly, very young, or medically vulnerable They're more at risk from both cold and carbon monoxide. - [ ] Monitor a battery or hand-crank radio, or your phone, for alerts Useful if power and cell signal are shaky. ## After the Storm - [ ] Check pipes for leaks once things warm up Especially in basements, crawl spaces, and exterior walls — a frozen pipe can split without showing it until it thaws. - [ ] Shut off the main water valve immediately if you find a burst pipe `{essential}` Then call a plumber before you deal with any cleanup. - [ ] Clear vents for your dryer, furnace, and water heater Of snow or ice so they can exhaust properly. - [ ] Restock whatever supplies you used Water, batteries, medication — before the next storm rolls in, since deep winter rarely means just one.