Winter Storm Emergency Kit: What Your Family Needs Before the Snow and Ice Hit

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A winter storm can shut down roads, knock out power and keep delivery trucks away for days. A well-stocked winter storm emergency kit means your family stays fed, warm and informed until the plows and the power crews catch up. This guide lists exactly what to pack, room by room and need by need.

Ready.gov says winter storms can last “a few hours or several days,” and it tells families to gather supplies for several days without power. That’s the target for the kit below. Once that’s covered, you can build up to a week or more.

Winter storm emergency kit: the quick answer

A winter storm emergency kit should cover everyone at home for at least several days without power: no-cook food, 1 gallon of water per person per day, a safe backup heat source with a battery CO detector, warm layers and blankets, flashlights with spare batteries, a NOAA Weather Radio, phone power, first aid and prescription medicine, and a shovel with rock salt or sand. Three days is the minimum. Aim for a week if you live where ice storms or rural outages are common.

Why a winter storm emergency kit is different from a general kit

Most emergency kits focus on food, water and a flashlight. Winter adds three problems the others don’t: cold, ice and isolation. When the power goes out in January, the house starts losing heat right away. Ice can bring down trees, utility poles and power lines, and the National Weather Service notes that ice can disrupt power for days while crews repair the damage.

The NWS also warns that heating fuel deliveries may not reach you for days after a winter storm. So your kit has to cover heat and fuel, not just snacks. And because the roads may be closed, you can’t count on a quick run to the store.

There is a bigger-picture reason, too. On September 30, the Pentagon announced FORTRESS America, an initiative to make major U.S. bases able to run on their own power. Per Pentagon documents reviewed by Fox News, big bases in the continental U.S. are being asked to plan to sustain essential operations for at least 90 days on their own (the memo hasn’t been released publicly, and Snopes rates the reporting “mostly true”). Britain has also urged families to stockpile food and water. If the military is planning for long outages, a few days of winter supplies at home is common sense.

Winter storm emergency kit checklist

Here is the full list at a glance. The sections below explain each item and how much you need.

• Food that needs no refrigeration, for at least several days
• Water: at least 1 gallon per person per day, plus water for cooking
• A safe backup heat source and a battery carbon monoxide (CO) detector
• Warm layers, hats, mittens, blankets and sleeping bags
• Flashlights, a lantern and extra batteries
• A battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio
• Phone power: power banks or a small solar generator
• First aid supplies and extra prescription medicine
• Fire extinguisher and working smoke alarms
• Baby items, pet food and anything special your household needs
• Rock salt or sand, and a snow shovel
• A car kit (covered in its own guide)

Winter storm emergency supplies by household size

Water uses Ready.gov’s 1 gallon per person per day. Food uses the My Patriot Supply kits covered below.

Household	Water, 3 days	Water, 7 days	Food for one week
1 person	3 gallons	7 gallons	1-Week Food Supply Ammo Can
2 people	6 gallons	14 gallons	4-Week Emergency Food Supply (covers 2 people for 2 weeks)
4 people	12 gallons	28 gallons	4-Week Emergency Food Supply (covers 4 people for 1 week)

Add cooking water on top: about 3 gallons for the Ammo Can and about 9 gallons for the 4-Week Supply.

1. Food that doesn’t need the fridge or the stove

The NWS recommends extra food such as dried fruit, nuts and granola bars that need no cooking or refrigeration. Start there. Canned goods, peanut butter and crackers work too, as long as you have a manual can opener.

For longer storms, long-shelf-life meals are easier to store than a pantry full of cans. The My Patriot Supply 1-Week Food Supply Ammo Can holds 14,860 calories, enough for one person for a week or two people for 72 hours, in 58 servings across 8 food and drink varieties. It’s rated for up to 25 years of shelf life when stored properly, and you’ll need about 3 gallons of water to prepare all of it. Most of the meals need hot water, so plan a heat source (see below).

For a whole household, the 4-Week Emergency Food Supply covers one person for four weeks, two people for two weeks, or a family of four for one week. It comes in two stackable buckets and needs about 9 gallons of water to prepare everything.

2. Water (and what to do if the pipes freeze)

Ready.gov (FEMA) recommends one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation. A family of four needs 12 gallons for three days, before you count water for cooking. Fill extra jugs when a storm is forecast, because frozen or burst pipes can cut off your tap.

If you’d rather not store huge amounts, a gravity filter lets you treat water from other sources. The Alexapure Pro Water Filtration System works without electricity, has 2.5-gallon chambers, and the maker says it has been tested against more than 220 contaminants. For more storage ideas, see our guide to emergency water storage solutions.

3. Safe backup heat for your winter storm emergency kit

This is the most important part of a winter storm emergency kit, and the most dangerous to get wrong. Ready.gov is blunt: never heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven, and only use generators and grills outdoors, away from windows. Install battery-backed CO detectors and test them.

The NWS lists a fireplace, wood stove or space heater “properly ventilated to prevent a fire” as acceptable emergency heat. For a small room without electricity, the VESTA Self-Powered Indoor Space Heater & Stove was created after the 2021 Texas freeze. It burns InstaFire canned heat (up to about 6 hours per can, three cans included), its fan runs off the heat it makes, and it doubles as a stove for those just-add-water meals. The maker rates it for spaces up to about 200 square feet and says to use it with adequate ventilation. It is not a whole-house heater.

Read more in our guide to emergency heating without electricity.

4. Warm clothing and bedding

Pack hats, mittens (warmer than gloves, per the NWS), wool socks, thermal layers and a sleeping bag or heavy blanket for each person. CDC advises several layers of loose-fitting clothing and closing off rooms you don’t need, so plan which room your family will gather in.

5. Light, radio and phone power

Pack a flashlight or headlamp for each person, a battery lantern and spare batteries. Skip candles if you have kids or pets. A battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio keeps you updated when the internet is down; our hand crank emergency radio guide covers options that don’t need batteries.

For phones, power banks handle a day or two. For longer outages or a CPAP machine, the Grid Doctor 300 Solar Generator pairs a 320Wh LiFePO4 battery and 300W output with a 100W solar panel, so you can recharge it in daylight. It’s built for phones, laptops, lights and small medical devices, not for a refrigerator or a space heater.

If you want to keep the fridge running through a multi-day outage, you need a much bigger system. The Grid Doctor 3300 Solar Generator has 3300W continuous output, a 2048Wh battery (expandable to 16,384Wh) and a 200W solar panel, and the maker lists ice storms and multi-day outages with refrigeration among its intended uses. It weighs about 57 pounds, so it’s a stay-at-home unit.

Which backup power fits your winter storm kit?

	Grid Doctor 300	Grid Doctor 3300
Continuous output	300W	3300W
Surge	600W	6600W
Battery	320Wh LiFePO4	2048Wh LiFePO4 (expandable to 16,384Wh)
Solar panel included	100W	200W
Weight	About 8.6 lbs	About 57 lbs
Built for	Phones, laptops, lights, radios, CPAP	Refrigeration, lights and communications in multi-day outages
Maker says not for	Full-size fridges, microwaves, space heaters	240V HVAC or whole-home panels

6. First aid, medicine and special needs

Every winter storm emergency kit needs a health section. The NWS kit list includes first aid supplies, extra prescription medicine, baby items like diapers and formula, and extra pet food. If anyone in your home uses a powered medical device, talk to your provider about a backup plan before the storm.

7. Fire safety and outdoor gear

Keep a fire extinguisher handy and test smoke alarms monthly, as the NWS recommends. Add a shovel and rock salt or sand for steps and walkways. If you use a generator, it must run outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows, doors and attached garages.

How to store your winter storm emergency kit

Keep everything in one or two bins in a closet or basement corner that stays above freezing, so water jugs don’t split. Put the flashlights and radio on top. Check the kit each fall: test batteries, rotate water and swap in fresh medicine.

Many of the same supplies cover any blackout, so if you already built a power outage emergency kit, you’re most of the way there. Add the winter-specific items above: heat, warm layers and a shovel.

How much do you need? Use our free Emergency Food Calculator to see exactly how many calories and gallons of water your family needs, from 72 hours to a full year.

Once your basic kit is ready, stretch it to two weeks with our 14-day emergency kit list.

Related reading: Ice Storm Preparation.

Want to go deeper? Read How to Prepare for a Winter Storm.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important item in a winter storm emergency kit?

Safe heat, paired with a working battery CO detector. Food and water matter, but cold is what makes winter outages dangerous. Never use a stove, oven, grill or generator indoors to stay warm.

How many days should a snow storm emergency kit cover?

Plan your winter storm emergency kit around the length of outages in your area. Ready.gov says to plan for several days without power. Three days is a good start. In rural areas, or where ice storms are common, aim for a week or more.

Is a blizzard survival kit different?

Not much. A blizzard is defined by the NWS as frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or more. The home kit is the same; the bigger difference is that travel becomes impossible, so stock up before the warning, not during it.

Should I keep a kit in my car too?

Yes. Ready.gov recommends a separate car kit with jumper cables, sand, a flashlight, warm clothes, blankets, water and snacks, plus a full tank of gas.

What emergency supplies do you need for a winter storm?

At least several days of no-cook food, 1 gallon of water per person per day, a safe backup heat source with a battery CO detector, warm layers and blankets, flashlights and spare batteries, a NOAA Weather Radio, phone power, first aid and prescription medicine, and a shovel with rock salt or sand.

How much water do I need for a winter storm?

Ready.gov recommends 1 gallon per person per day. A family of four needs 12 gallons for three days or 28 gallons for a week, plus water for cooking. Fill jugs when the storm is forecast, because frozen pipes can cut off your tap.

Can a solar generator run a space heater during a winter storm?

Not a small one. The maker says the Grid Doctor 300 is not designed for space heaters; it is built for phones, laptops, lights and small medical devices. For heat without electricity, use a properly ventilated option like the VESTA and keep a battery CO detector running.

When should I buy winter storm emergency supplies?

Before the warning, not during it. Roads can close and stores sell out once a storm is on the way. Build the kit in the fall, then check it each year: test batteries, rotate water and replace expired medicine.

The bottom line

A winter storm emergency kit comes down to five things: food, water, safe heat, light and the basics for your family’s health. Build enough for several days this week, then add to it. When the next warning comes, you’ll be checking on the neighbors instead of fighting the crowds at the store. For more ideas, browse our emergency preparedness guides.

Sources: Ready.gov: Winter Weather, Ready.gov: Build a Kit, National Weather Service: Before a Winter Storm, NWS: Ice Safety, NWS: Winter Warnings, NWS: During Extreme Cold, CDC: During and After a Winter Storm, Fox News, Fortune, Snopes. Product details are from My Patriot Supply product pages as of October 27, 2026.