How to Prepare for a Power Outage in Winter: Safety Tips

Power outages, of course, can happen any time of year. That said, blackouts in winter—caused by the season’s often-higher winds, heavy snowfall or ice storms, or tree damage from extreme cold—are of special concern given the colder temperatures, making the loss of a house’s primary heating system serious business. Harsh conditions can also mean it may take longer for utility company crews to fix downed power lines and restore power.

Here in the U.S. (and in parts of Mexico and Canada), we don’t have to look far for a reminder of how disruptive winter power outages can be. With its march across eastern North America, the so-called Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 knocked out power to millions, with many homes and businesses in the affected area contending with prolonged blackouts.

When winter weather hits, it’s always a good idea to brush up on some basic power outage tips and tricks. In this post, we’ll look at ways to prepare and respond to winter power outages, and along the way, steer you to some other Mountain House articles on blackout preparedness in general for further reference. (For starters, check out our guide to prepping for long-term power outages!)

From staying warm to illuminating a suddenly darkened home, here are some basic power outage survival tips and hacks to bone up on before you find yourself enduring a cold-season blackout.

TL;DR: Winter Power Outage Checklist

Preparing for a power outage in winter involves ensuring adequate supplies of warmth, food, and water, as the cold weather can significantly impact living conditions.

Warmth

• Blankets, sleeping bags, warm clothing
• Hats, gloves, thick socks, hand warmers
• Safe backup heat (wood stove or propane heater)

Food & Water

• Non-perishable food (3+ days worth)
• Drinking water supply
• Manual can opener and basic prep tools

Emergency Kit

• Flashlights and extra batteries
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• First-aid kit and essential medications
• Power banks for charging devices

Putting these basics in place ahead of time makes it much easier to get through a winter storm power outage safely and comfortably.

Why are Winter Storm Power Outages So Dangerous?

Winter power outages are especially hazardous because cold temperatures and severe weather can quickly turn a minor inconvenience into a serious safety issue. Without electricity, most homes lose their primary heat source, increasing the risk of hypothermia, frozen pipes, and burst plumbing. Food and water access can become limited, and hazardous conditions on roads may delay utility crews from restoring service.

In long-term power outages, families may also face carbon monoxide risks from improper heating and cooking methods. Preparing in advance helps reduce these dangers and makes it easier to stay safe and comfortable until power is restored.

What to Do if the Power Goes Out in the Winter

When winter weather knocks out electricity, preparation makes all the difference. Below is a detailed breakdown covering the steps you need to stay warm, fed, and informed until electricity is restored.

First and Foremost, Stay Warm

When the power goes out during a winter storm, conserving heat becomes your top priority. The goal is to trap warmth, minimize heat loss, and keep your body temperature stable until electricity is restored.

• Create a single “warm zone” room: Choose one room in your home to serve as your main living area during the outage. Close doors to unused rooms and block drafts with towels, blankets, or plastic sheeting over windows.
• Layer clothing and use blankets and sleeping bags: Wear multiple layers of loose, insulated clothing instead of one heavy garment. Thermal base layers, hats, gloves, and thick socks help retain body heat. Pile on blankets or sleeping bags when sitting or sleeping, and share body heat when possible.
• Use hand warmers and body heat efficiently: Disposable or rechargeable hand warmers can provide quick warmth for pockets, gloves, or inside sleeping bags. Staying lightly active, keeping extremities covered, and drinking warm beverages can also help your body generate and retain heat.
• Take advantage of available heat sources: If you have a woodstove or fireplace, use it safely and only with proper ventilation. If your water heater is a gas-powered unit that can function without electricity, you can utilize it to provide at least a little extra ambient warmth during a winter power outage by filling up your sinks and bathtubs with hot water. Drain these when the water turns tepid. When possible, rely on warm clothing, blankets, and heat retention techniques first, and always prioritize ventilation and fire safety.
• Create a DIY heater if all else fails: There are a variety of DIY heaters you can consider assembling, from tea candles set in flower pots to toilet-paper rolls lit in tin cans, though these should only be used as a last resort. Use extreme caution if making and operating one of these DIY heaters, and ensure they’re used with adequate ventilation.

How to Eat and Cook

Having a safe plan for eating and food preparation is absolutely needed during a winter storm power outage. Start by eating the most perishable foods first, beginning with items from the refrigerator and then moving to foods from the freezer if needed. This helps to avoid unnecessary spoilage, which can be a troublesome issue even during a fairly short power outage. However, minimizing the opening of your refrigerator and freezer can save most of your perishable items, depending on the blackout’s duration. A fridge kept shut should keep food safe for four hours or more, and closed freezer doors for upwards of a couple of days.

Filling coolers with ice—washing machines also work, in a pinch—gives you another option for keeping perishable eats cold. Depending on how chilly it is outside, you could also keep items outdoors in a secure container—one advantage, anyway, of a wintertime power outage. When in doubt, throw out any food that smells, looks unusual, or has been above safe temperatures for too long.

As fresh foods run out, transition to non-perishable items and your emergency food storage, which is exactly why having shelf-stable meals on hand ahead of time matters.

Camp stoves should only be operated outdoors and far from windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. Never use gas ranges, grills, or generators inside your home for heat or cooking. 

Get Ready for Power Surges

Sometimes when the power's restored to the grid, there'll be a brief spike of higher voltage. These power surges can damage electronics. To avoid that issue, unplug appliances and devices when a power outage hits. Leave a lamp plugged in and switched on: That way, you'll know when the electricity's flowing again, and when you can safely plug the other equipment in.

Find Candles (and Crayons) to Use for Backup Lighting 

You should have multiple flashlights—including, ideally, a hand-crank model—at the ready in your house, along with backup batteries. But for additional illumination, and to preserve battery power over the long haul, you may decide to (carefully!) use candles for those blackout evenings. 

If you don’t have any on hand, crayons, believe it or not, can do the trick. Light the pointy tip of one, then pool some of its wax on a small plate or saucer. Set the base of the crayon in that wax for a ready-made crayon-candle, which should burn for an hour or two.

Bring Solar Lights Inside

If you’ve got solar lights in the yard, haul ‘em inside for another off-grid source of illumination! Use them at night indoors, then recharge during the day in a sunny window or back outside.

Use Your Car to Charge Devices

Keep your cell phone and other essential devices juiced up during a power outage using your car battery. Portable battery packs with USB ports and standard outlets are also a good idea.

Avoid Frozen Pipes Bursting

Frozen pipes are one of the main negative consequences of a power outage in the midst of winter’s deep cold. Water expands when it freezes into ice, placing pressure on conduits and, often enough, rupturing them, leading to costly and potentially catastrophic leaks. 

Insulate your water pipes with foam sleeves, old sweaters, and the like, and let your faucets drip or trickle when the power’s out in subfreezing weather: Moving water is much less likely to freeze up. In deep cold, consider shutting off the main water intake valve and draining the pipes altogether.

Beware of Carbon Monoxide

Carbon-monoxide poisoning is an insidious risk during power outages, especially in winter. Don’t use a gas range for household heat, and only operate portable stoves, charcoal grills, and generators outside and at least 20 feet away from any windows. Don’t use a propane heater indoors unless it’s specially designed for that purpose. And, of course, make sure your carbon-monoxide detectors are working on a regular basis!

Think Before You Act During a Power Outage

A power outage, especially in winter and especially a prolonged one, can definitely be a stressful situation, especially if you’re unprepared. It’s important to keep a clear head and not let frustration, confusion, or panic overwhelm basic caution. Besides the danger of carbon-monoxide poisoning when improperly using stoves, heaters, and other appliances indoors, the risk of injury from, say, splitting or sawing wood for the woodstove or fireplace may be amplified by temporarily diminished emergency and medical services due to a widespread power failure.

Stay Informed and Connected

Staying informed helps you make safer decisions. A battery-powered or hand-crank radio allows you to receive emergency updates, weather alerts, and information about power restoration even when the internet is unavailable. Use a power bank or your vehicle to recharge phones and essential devices, but avoid running your car in enclosed spaces. Limiting device use to critical communication can help extend battery life throughout a prolonged outage.

Check on Others

Winter power outages can be especially difficult for elderly neighbors, families with young children, and people who rely on medical equipment. If conditions allow, check in on those who may need assistance with warmth, food, or medications. Sharing resources, information, or simply making sure someone is safe can make a significant difference during extended outages caused by severe winter storms.

How to Plan Ahead

If possible, preparing for this situation when the Winter season is approaching is best. This way, if a power outage does occur, you have proper plans in place.

Create an Emergency Kit 

Whether connected to severe weather or not, a power outage can make meeting your daily needs challenging. Assemble an emergency kit—also called a 72-hour kit or disaster kit—ahead of time so you have the supplies and tools you need to get by when the grid is down. From a hand-crank or battery-powered radio to extra medications, a first-aid kit, and (naturally) duct tape, learn more about a standard emergency kit’s fundamental components over at Ready.gov—and read more on the subject in this Mountain House post on how to build an emergency kit.

Emergency Food and Water

Part of a properly equipped emergency kit? Enough food and water to last three days at a minimum. Select non-perishable provisions, and be sure to periodically check on your supply and rotate out and replenish foodstuffs as needed. (With an industry-leading shelf life and just-add-hot-water preparation, Mountain House meals and emergency supplies are very much tailor-made for disaster-kit inclusion! We’ve also got a blog post on emergency food storage you might want to check out.)

Along with your emergency kit’s stockpile of bottled water (and, ideally, a water-purification system), consider filling up jugs, sinks, and bathtubs ahead of a big winter storm or right at the start of what might be an extended blackout. If municipal water ends up becoming unavailable, this gives you a water supply for essential purposes (including flushing the toilet!).

(Learn more about how to boil water during a power outage.)

Weatherize Your Home 

Take time to weatherize your home so it stays warmer if the power goes out. 

• Seal drafts around doors and windows using weather stripping, caulk, or plastic sheeting to prevent heat from escaping. 
• Close off unused rooms so you can concentrate warmth in one area of the house. 
• Insulate exposed pipes in cabinets, basements, and exterior walls to reduce the risk of freezing. 

These small steps can make a significant difference in maintaining indoor temperatures and preventing costly damage during a winter storm power outage.

Stock Up for Winter Power Outages With Mountain House

Power outages are just about inevitable, and responsible emergency preparedness means readying yourself for the possibility of multiple days without electricity. Make sure you’re ready for the next wintertime blackout with a reliable storehouse of Mountain House emergency provisions!