How to Prepare For a Blizzard (At Home and On the Road)

Blizzards and severe winter storms can be dangerous. The extreme cold, ice, freezing rain, and high winds often lead to power outages and travel difficulties. The best ways to prepare for blizzards include stocking up on essentials, investing in a reliable home backup source, creating a family emergency plan, etc. 

Jackery Solar Generators are reliable and portable home battery backups that can charge most household appliances, such as portable heaters, lights, lamps, mobile phones, etc. This guide will help you understand how to prepare for a blizzard, including how to check the warnings, what to do when the winter storm arrives, etc.

How to Check Blizzard Warning

The National Weather Service website (weather.gov) is reliable for checking blizzard or winter storm warnings. Here, you can access the latest weather alerts and warnings for your specific location. You can also find this information through their mobile app or by listening to local weather reports on radio or television. 

It is better to always check the forecast for your exact area on the National Weather Service website to get accurate information about potential blizzard warnings. A blizzard warning means showing or blowing snow will reduce the visibility to ¼ mile or less for 3 hours or longer. You can also expect sustained winds of 35 mph or greater or frequent gusts of 35 mph or greater.

How to Prepare for a Blizzard at Home

We’ll dive into each of the following points in more depth throughout the article. But, for now, here’s a high-level look at the most effective things you can do to get yourself ready for a blizzard.

• Stock up on essentials
• Invest in a reliable backup source of power
• Create a family emergency action plan
• Keep your vehicle prepared for winter weather
• Stormproof your home
• Put together a car safety kit
• Know what to do when a blizzard arrives

Let's expand on how to prepare for a blizzard and other winter storms with easy tips: 

Stock Up On Essentials

A key part of your winter storm preparation is making sure that you have enough of what you need to survive in the event that you can’t get to a store. A blizzard or winter storm survival kit should include non-perishable food, drinking water (since your pipes may freeze), and basic medical supplies.

Here are some good food items to keep on hand for a blizzard:

• 3-day supply of drinking water
• Trail mix
• Canned soup
• Peanut butter
• Protein bars
• Dry pasta
• Hot chocolate mix
• Canned beans (great for protein)
• Jerky
• Pet food

On top of food and drinking water, you will also want to have some basic supplies at home. Here’s a winter storm survival kit to get you started:

• Bandaids
• Prescription medications
• Ibuprofen or aspirin
• Batteries
• Candles
• Flashlights
• Personal hygiene products

Keep these things at home and your family will be well on its way to being ready for a blizzard.

Invest in a Reliable Backup Source of Power

While preparing for a blizzard, the goal is to give yourself the ability to be completely self-sufficient for a few days if you need to be. A big part of that is making sure that you have a reliable source for backup power.

But generators are costly, noisy, and extremely dangerous to keep in your home. That’s why you should consider picking up a portable power station from Jackery instead.

Our power stations are available in lots of different sizes, so you can pick one that satisfies your energy requirements.

For example, the Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro Portable Power Station will power a mini cooler (100W) for 25.7 hours or an electric grill (800W) for 3.2 hours. So keeping one charged at home (or in your car) could let you continue enjoying your favorite foods even during a blizzard.

When something serious like a blizzard happens, it can be difficult in the moment to wrap your head around exactly what your family should be doing to stay safe. That’s why the federal government recommends that families create an emergency plan.

Your emergency plan should detail:

• How you will receive emergency alerts and warnings
• What your shelter plan is
• How you will evacuate your home if necessary
• How you’ll communicate with your family members if some aren’t with you
• What you plan on keeping in your emergency preparedness kit

Thinking ahead like this is important because it gives you a clear playbook to follow when a blizzard happens. That way, the decisions that you make are logical and well-planned instead of spontaneous and driven by emotions.

Keep Your Vehicle Prepared for Winter Weather

Part of preparing for blizzards is making sure that your vehicle is reliable enough to make it through one. You may not end up needing to use it if you can hunker down at home. But blizzards are unpredictable. You could be on the road or need to go pick up a family member somewhere when one strikes.

So as you think about how to prepare for a blizzard at home, don’t forget your car. Take it in for a winter tune-up at the start of the snow season. Make sure your defroster and heater are working. And create a second winter preparedness pack for your vehicle (more information on what that should include is in the next section).

It’s also smart not to let your gas tank get too low during the winter. That’s because traffic during the winter months can get very slow unexpectedly. And when that happens, your gas tank could deplete faster than usual.

Put Together a Car Safety Kit

Winter storms can be unpredictable. So as you think about what you should do in case of a blizzard, you definitely want to make sure that you have a winter kit ready to go in your vehicle.

The Farmer’s Almanac has a great list for this. Here are their minimum requirements:

• Blankets, mittens, socks, and hats
• Ice scraper
• Jumper cables
• Flashlight
• First-aid kit
• Bottled water
• Multi-tool
• Road flares or reflective triangles

If you’re really worried about what effects should someone expect from a blizzard, then you can put even more items in your vehicle bag. This can include:

• Non-perishable food
• Blankets
• Sand (to give your car traction)
• Tow straps
• Sleeping bags
• Hand warmers
• Snow shovel
• Anything else that could be useful in the event that you get stranded in your vehicle in the snow

Stormproof Your Home

As you think about what to do before a blizzard, storm-proofing your home is another important step to take. There are a variety of home-improvement tasks you can do now so that you don’t have to worry about how to survive a blizzard when one comes.

Start by weatherstripping your doors and windows. You can also insulate your pipes, caulk any airflow gaps, and have your heating system inspected at the start of the winter.

Prepare a Winter Storm Preparation Checklist 

Before the storm strikes, you need to prepare for a winter storm preparation checklist. The main concerns during the winter storm are shortage of supplies if the storm continues for more than a day, loss of heat, and unavailability of power and telephone service. According to the National Weather Service, here is the winter preparedness checklist. 

• Flashlight with extra batteries 
• Battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio
• Extra food and water
• Extra prescription medicine
• Fire extinguisher and smoke alarm
• Baby items such as formula and diapers
• Emergency heat source 
• Extra pet food and warm shelter for pets
• First aid supplies

You can also pack a portable power source, like Jackery Portable Power Station, to charge electronics when the grid fails to supply electricity to appliances. 

Another important thing to remember is how to prepare for a blizzard for kids. As a parent, you should make sure to have a "blizzard bag" with extra warm clothes, snacks, water, a flashlight, batteries, and a blanket for kids. Ensure kids stay inside as much as possible and are dressed in layers.

Know What to Do When a Blizzard Arrives

Part of preparing for a blizzard is knowing what you should and shouldn’t do when one actually arrives. Here are some blizzard tips to get you started.

Only travel if absolutely necessary

Being on the road during a blizzard is extremely dangerous. It increases your chances of hypothermia, accidents, and death. That’s why you should only travel during a winter storm if it’s absolutely necessary for you to do so.

Examples of necessary trips include going to a winter shelter, picking up a stranded family member, and seeking medical attention if it’s needed.

If you are traveling, follow these tips

Sometimes blizzards strike unexpectedly. If you’re on the road during a winter storm, there are things that you can do to keep yourself safe.

First, don’t exit your vehicle. You will quickly become disoriented in the wind and snow. And the last thing that you want is to get lost in the middle of a blizzard.

Second, run your motor for about 10 minutes every hour for heat. You will also need to clear the snow from your exhaust pipe to avoid gas poisoning.

It’s also important for you to make yourself visible to rescuers. You can do that by keeping your interior and exterior car lights on when you’re running the engine. You can also pop your head. Or tie a bright piece of fabric to your door or antenna.

Keep room, bathroom, and other doors closed

It’s also a smart idea to keep any doors that don’t need to be open closed during a blizzard. Doing so should help to keep your house warmer by reducing the amount of space that your heater is covering.

Don’t bring any gas-powered appliances indoors

This is a really important point for blizzard safety. Gas-powered appliances, such as generators and camping stoves, are extremely dangerous to use indoors.

These devices can cause carbon monoxide poisoning when used in enclosed spaces. If you want to be able to use your appliances indoors during a snowstorm, pick up a safer alternative (like a portable power station from Jackery).

Use warm water on frozen pipes

Pipes often freeze during intense winter storms. When that happens, they won’t dispense any water. This is why it’s important to make sure that you have a lot of water on hand as you think about how to prepare for a blizzard.

But you can also potentially solve a frozen pipe issue on your own. To do so, use these steps:

1. Locate where the pipes are most exposed to the harsh weather
2. Remove insulation
3. Open all faucets
4. Pour hot water over the affected areas

Understand when it’s time to go to a shelter

Sometimes, even the most prepared family won’t be able to deal with everything that a blizzard throws at them. That’s why it’s crucial to know both where the nearest shelter is in your area and when it’s time for your family to go to it.

Your family should go to a shelter if it’s without power for an extended period of time, out of supplies, or dealing with extremely cold weather.

Jackery Solar Generators to Prepare for a Blizzard

When blizzards and winter storms hit the area, the chances of power outages increase. Jackery offers a wide range of portable battery backups for homes that can charge essential household appliances for hours. For example, they can charge your refrigerator to keep the food fresh or lights to illuminate the space. Let's check out the best Jackery Solar Generators, which are ideal for long-term power outages caused by blizzards and winter storms. Depending on how many kWh does a house uses, you can choose the right size solar generator for your house. 

Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro 

The Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro features a large battery capacity that can charge 99% of your household appliances, such as refrigerators, lights, portable heaters, etc. The unit has a pull rod and double wheels, so you can easily move it from one place to another. It can also connect to the home's electricity system with the help of a transfer switch so essential appliances such as refrigerators and WiFi routers remain powered even during unexpected power outages. 

Customer Review 

“We were out of power for four days beginning the evening before the storm. We have several generators to complete a whole-house system, but the Jackery provided uninterrupted power to the TV so we could stay updated on the storm's progress. It also charged our cell phones, which kept our WiFi going until the cell signals went down.”—William Watson.

Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus Kit (4kWh)

The Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus Kit (4kWh) can charge essential appliances during long-term power outages. It is built by adding a battery pack to the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power Station to increase its capacity to 4kWh. Whether you want to charge a portable heater to keep the space warm for hours or an electric grill to cook food, the unit offers portable power for your needs. 

Customer Review 

“It's only been a short time since I purchased my Explorer 2000 plus kit, but during the recent snow storms, my stress level stayed very low, knowing I had it fully charged as a backup to power my oxygen concentrator in the event of an outage. Thankfully, that didn't happen this time, but I know it will, and my Jackery may well keep me alive.” — Dennis Rose.

Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus 

The Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus is a powerful, eco-friendly home battery backup with a large battery capacity and the ability to charge 99% of your appliances. The dual voltage support feature ensures you can charge various applications, including refrigerators that run on 120V and clothes dryers that run on 240V. The 0ms UPS switchover allows you to switch from on-grid power to a battery backup source, ensuring essential appliances remain powered up.

Jackery Makes Winter Preparedness Easier

Blizzards can be scary. But with a little planning, your family can deal with harsh winter weather without having to leave home. 

If you’re serious about getting ready for the next blizzard, Jackery can help. Our portable power generators are the safe, affordable way to power your devices and keep your family safe.