How to Stay Healthy and Safe During Winter Storms and Extreme Cold

Prolonged winter storms bring heavy snow, ice, high winds, dangerously low temperatures, and often power outages that can last for days. The main risks include hypothermia, frostbite, carbon monoxide poisoning, home fires from unsafe heating, dehydration, and heart strain from overexertion. With good preparation and smart choices, you can stay safe and healthy until conditions improve.

1. Stay Indoors as Much as Possible
Your strongest protection against extreme cold is to limit time outside. Even short exposure can drop your body temperature to unsafe levels. If your home becomes too cold (below 50–60°F) due to a power outage, go to a warming shelter, community center, library, mall, or a friend’s or relative’s heated home. Check local news, emergency alerts, or call 211 to find open locations nearby.

Only go outside for true necessities (emergency supplies, checking on someone, clearing a critical path). Keep those trips very short—ideally 10–15 minutes or less.

2. Dress in Effective Layers
Wear clothing that traps heat, blocks wind, and pulls sweat away from your skin.

• Base layer: Thin, moisture-wicking synthetic or wool underwear and socks (never cotton—it holds moisture and makes you colder).

• Middle layers: Fleece, wool sweater, or insulated shirt for insulation.

• Outer layer: Waterproof and windproof jacket and pants.

Cover all exposed skin:

• A warm hat that covers your ears

• A scarf, neck gaiter, or balaclava to protect your face and neck

• Mittens (they keep fingers warmer than gloves)

• Insulated, waterproof boots with strong traction

Watch closely for danger signs:

• Frostbite: Numbness followed by stinging or burning; skin turns white, pale, gray, or waxy/hard.

• Hypothermia: Uncontrollable shivering, confusion, clumsy movements, slurred speech, drowsiness.

If you notice these, get inside immediately, remove wet clothes, warm up gradually with blankets and warm (not hot) drinks, and call for medical help if symptoms are serious.

3. Heat Your Home Safely
Most winter home fires and carbon monoxide deaths happen during storms from unsafe heating methods.

• Use electric space heaters only when you are awake and in the same room; keep them at least 3 feet from anything flammable.

• Never use a gas oven, stovetop, charcoal grill, camp stove, or unvented kerosene heater to heat your home.

• Run portable generators outside, at least 20 feet from windows and doors, with the exhaust directed away from the house.

• Reduce heat loss: Place rolled towels under doors, tape plastic sheeting over drafty windows, and close off unused rooms.

• During daylight, open curtains on south-facing windows to capture free solar heat; close them at night to keep warmth in.

4. Stay Hydrated, Nourished, and Careful with Activity
Cold weather reduces your sense of thirst, so dehydration can sneak up. Drink warm water, herbal tea, or broth regularly—even if you don’t feel thirsty. Skip alcohol and limit caffeine; both increase fluid loss. Eat small, frequent meals with protein and complex carbohydrates to maintain steady energy. Heavy physical work like shoveling snow or pushing a car puts extra strain on the heart in freezing temperatures. Work slowly, take frequent breaks, breathe through your nose, and get help if you have heart issues or aren’t accustomed to hard labor.

5. Keep an Emergency Kit Ready
Prepare these essentials before the storm arrives:

• Water: At least 1 gallon per person per day (aim for 3–7 days)

• Non-perishable food (canned soup, energy bars, peanut butter, crackers, etc.)

• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio for updates

• Flashlights and plenty of extra batteries

• Warm blankets, sleeping bags, and extra warm clothing

• First-aid kit and at least a 7-day supply of prescription medications

• Manual can opener, duct tape, and a multi-tool

• Portable phone charger

During a power outage, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible—food can stay safely cold for many hours.

6. Check on Vulnerable Neighbors and Family
Older adults, young children, people with chronic health conditions, and those living alone are at highest risk. Call or check in on them at least once a day. Offer to bring supplies or help them reach a warming center if needed.

Winter storms are challenging, but they don’t last forever. Stay updated through a battery-powered radio or weather alerts, conserve heat and battery power, look out for one another, and take it one day at a time. Spring is coming. Stay warm and stay safe.