Your Winter Storm Check List
Winter storms can be a lot of fun! They can bring big piles of snow that the kids will love to play in but that even adults can appreciate the beauty of.
And if you like to ski or snowboard then the more snow the better!
But snow storms can also be dangerous or at least very inconvenient.
You can get stuck in your home due to the roads being unsafe to drive on.
The local grocery store may even have to close down.
And perhaps the worst and most likely issue - you can be without power for extended periods.
So What Should You Do?
That's why you need a checklist of needed items. Items that will keep you safe and comfortable for a day or two in case the storm is a bit more than we bargained for!
Essential Items
Food!
Maybe this is a no-brainer but if you're going to be stuck indoors for any prolonged period of time then you need something to eat.
But you don't want just any food. Non perishable items such as canned goods, Ramen noodles, protein bars, crackers are all great to have.
And when getting canned food, get a variety. Get vegetables, fruits, and meats. And don't be scared of canned sardines. They are a highly nutritious food source that you will develop a taste for! I Promise!
Obviously do your food shopping as early as possible since the food store is where everyone else is going to be as the storm approaches.
Emergency Dry Store Food
If you have some of these emergency dry storage food buckets then you’re golden!
What's The One Thing That's More Important Than Food?
Water! Get water!
According to the CDC for your emergency supply of water you should “store at least 1 gallon of water per person, per day for 3 days. You can use this water during an emergency for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and other uses. Try to store a 2-week supply if possible” (“How much emergency water to store” Section).
Store bought 1 gallon jugs are good to have. They are usually more affordable than the 24 pack of individual bottles, so you can buy more of it!
What If The Heat Goes Out?
You may think that as long as you don't have electric heat then you'll be fine if you lose power, but that is not true.
Your propane, natural gas, or oil heating system still needs electricity to power its electrical components, and it won't work if the power goes out.
Since winter storms usually come with cold weather, that's why you'll need a backup heat source.
If you don't have a wood stove then get an indoor safe propane or kerosene heater. These things can really pump out the heat and can often be bought at your local hardware store. It's essential to have backup heat, so do yourself a big favor and get one of these!
Just be sure to have several functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout your house since these indoor heaters do not vent to the outdoors.
Kerosene Heaters
Back before I had a wood stove I used these guys a lot. They throw off a lot of heat and are a great addition to your winter storm survival gear!
Now You're Cooking!
If you have an electric stove then how are you going to cook when the power goes out?
Get yourself a camping stove! These are small, portable stoves that will run on a small tank of propane or butane gas, or even kerosene or alcohol.
You can use one of these in a pinch to cook a good meal for your family.
If you have a gas stove on the other hand then you can usually light the stove top with a match and should still be able to use it even without power.
Keep on Cooking!
You don’t have to stop cooking just because the power goes out!
Keep Your Food Cold
Keeping stuff cold is the last thing you think about during a winter storm. But something else that happens when your power goes out is the refrigerator stops working.
Think about all of your expensive food going to waste! It's horrifying isn't it?
A lot of people panic over this when the power has been out for a while.
But why?
It's cold out, remember?
Just put the food outside! That's the one good thing about winter storms. Use the weather to your advantage!
But don't just throw it out all over the back porch. You're gonna want to put it in some sort of container. Something like a cooler chest, a plastic bin with a firm lid or even a home depot bucket.
Just make sure that whatever you put the food in has a strong lid to keep animals from rummaging through it.
Portable Power!
Have a supply of batteries for your various electronics. And you may want to get a portable battery pack so you can charge your phones off it.
And don't forget to keep your phones on the chargers while the power is still on! Don't waste the batteries only to regret it once the lights go out.
Keep Your Phones Charged
Give your phones some extra life with a battery backup!
Lights!
If you've noticed there's a bit of a theme here. Most of the preparation revolves around losing power. And this next step adds to that.
You're going to want some sort of portable lighting for when the lights go out.
My favorite portable lighting source is my gorgeous, kerosene lantern.
This thing throws out a very soothing, warm light. And it's bright enough to get the job done!
Best of all, these lanterns will work on oil or kerosene so you don't need batteries. And as an added bonus they produce a bit of heat too!
Just Get One!
Even if you’re not worried about prepping for a storm. Just get one. These things are awesome!
Some sort of battery powered light is great to have too.
The new LED ones give off a ton of light and they do it for a long time!
My torch light is bright enough to be used as a self defense weapon as it will temporarily blind someone if shined directly in their eyes and it can maintain this brightness for hours!
See Everything!
If you want a lot of light that last a ling time then get a torch light. The light is so bright that it can be used as a self defense weapon!
You Need The Ace of Spades!
Well not cards. Not yet at least!
Everyone knows that you need a snow shovel in winter time, but many don't know the benefits of having a Spade!
A Spade is a metal shovel shaped like a Spade. It will enable you to break through tougher snow like semi frozen stuff and maybe even literal ice if you can get at it with the right angle.
So don't just have a snow shovel. Get a Spade shovel for the really tough jobs.
Last but Not Least
This last one may not be an absolute necessity but if you're going to be stuck in your house for a day or two or three without electricity then you're going to want some low tech entertainment options.
Think about board games like chess or party games like cards against humanity and this is where the ace of Spades in the form of a deck of cards would come in handy.
Yes… especially if you have kids, find some way of keeping the entertainment going.
And that's all I have to say about that
That's a line from one of my favorite movies! Which one is it?? Guess in the comment section!
This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of everything that one could ever possibly need if snowed in for a few days. The items that you consider necessary are often a matter of personal choice.
Some items are commonsensical and were left out such as winter clothes, blankets, enough of whatever medications you need, etc.
I hope that I was able to list a few things that you didn't think of!
What did you think of the list? What would you add? Let me know in the comments!
References
How to Create an Emergency Water Supply. CDC. (2025, June 27). https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/how-to-create-and-store-an-emergency-water-supply.html
