Hazard guide · Winter storms

Getting through winter storms and ice

Winter storms are deadly in quiet ways: crashes on icy roads, heart attacks while shoveling, cold homes during long power outages, and carbon monoxide from heaters run indoors. Here's how to read winter alerts and keep your household safe and warm.

Last reviewed October 2026

Winter alerts, explained

• Winter storm watch: heavy snow, sleet or ice is possible, usually within the next one to two days. Stock up and charge devices.
• Winter storm warning: heavy snow, sleet or ice is expected. Stay off the roads if you can.
• Ice storm warning: damaging ice is expected, usually a quarter inch or more. Plan to lose power.
• Blizzard warning: strong winds (35 mph or more) with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer. Travel becomes nearly impossible.
• Extreme cold watch or warning: dangerously cold air or wind chills that can cause frostbite and hypothermia. These replaced the old "wind chill" alerts.
• Winter weather advisory: snow, sleet or ice that will make travel hazardous but isn't severe enough for a warning.

Why ice is worse than snow

Freezing rain falls as liquid and freezes on contact, coating everything in a layer of ice. It adds enormous weight to trees and power lines.

Southern states can be hit hardest, because homes, roads and power systems there aren't built for long freezes.

Cold, frostbite and hypothermia

Wind strips heat from bare skin. The wind chill tells you how cold it feels on exposed skin. Once wind chills drop to around -20°F, frostbite can set in within 30 minutes. At around -35°F, it can happen in 10 minutes.

Staying warm when the power goes out

• Pick one room, ideally an interior room with few windows. Close the doors to other rooms, hang blankets over doorways and stuff towels under them.
• Dress in layers, including hats and socks, and sleep under several blankets. Share body heat.
• Use space heaters carefully. Keep them at least 3 feet from anything that can burn, plug them straight into the wall, and turn them off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Keep pipes from freezing. Let faucets drip and open cabinet doors under sinks. Pipes in unheated spaces can freeze once outside temperatures drop to around 20°F.
• Go somewhere warm if your home gets too cold, especially with babies, older adults or anyone who's ill. Many communities open warming centers; call 211.

On the road

Most winter storm deaths happen in vehicles. The safest choice is to stay home until roads are treated. If you have to drive:

• Keep your gas tank at least half full and a winter kit in the car.
• Tell someone your route and when you expect to arrive.
• Slow down, leave extra room, and watch for black ice on bridges and overpasses, which freeze first.
• If you get stuck, stay with your car. Run the engine about 10 minutes an hour for heat, crack a window, and keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow. Tie a bright cloth to the antenna so rescuers can find you.

After the storm

• Shovel slowly. Heavy, wet snow strains the heart. Push snow instead of lifting it, take breaks, and stop if you feel chest pain or shortness of breath.
• Clear vents. Snow blocking furnace, dryer and generator exhaust can push carbon monoxide inside.
• Watch overhead. Ice and snow slide off roofs and branches, and lines brought down by ice may still be live.
• Check on neighbors, especially older adults and anyone who lives alone.

Sources: National Weather Service winter safety program; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); National Fire Protection Association; Ready.gov.