Winter storm prep: 7 genius ways to prepare your home for extreme weather

We're officially only a few weeks into winter, but the season is already raging, with snow blanketing huge swaths of the country. Even if you live in an area that regularly experiences severe weather, dealing with a blizzard or icy conditions can prove incredibly stressful, especially if your home loses power. So what should you do? The best way to prep your house for snow and winter storms is to have: 1) a plan and 2) emergency supplies and gear that can get you through the worst of it.

To help, we sought advice from experts at the American Red Cross and Frontdoor, a service that connects homeowners to skilled tradespeople. Read on for simple steps and precautions you can take to ensure your house stays warm, safe and protected — plus our picks for gear everyone should own, including power stations, snow blowers and insulation kits.

Before we dive in, now's a good time to familiarize yourself with common winter storm terms. If you hear either of these on the news, the Red Cross advises you to take immediate precautions:

• Winter storm warning: Life-threatening, severe winter conditions have begun or will begin within 24 hours.

• Blizzard warning: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 miles per hour or greater, plus considerable falling or blowing snow reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile, expected for three hours or longer.

Build an emergency preparedness kit

"At a minimum, you should have an at-home kit for up to two weeks and a go-kit that supports family needs for up to three days," says Stephanie Fox, national spokesperson for the American Red Cross. These should include first-aid supplies, copies of important documents, a flashlight, batteries, chargers for your electronic devices, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, cash, snacks and water (at least one gallon per person per day for drinking; more for other uses). Fox advises adding items that reflect your family's needs, such as prescription medications or pet food.

For the winter, she suggests warm blankets and clothing, high-calorie snacks, a bright red cloth (in the event you are stranded in a vehicle) and hand warmers.

Seal off drafts

This is one of the most important ways to prep your house for extreme winter weather — and one of the first tasks to do once temperatures drop, says Frontdoor handyperson expert, William James. "Check to see if you have any areas in your home where drafts are coming through, such as doors or windows that have broken or old weather stripping."

Replacing weather stripping is fairly easy: Many have adhesive backs, so you can simply peel off the old stuff and replace it. If you're not sure what kind you need, bring some old strips to the hardware store and ask for help finding a match.

Frontdoor plumbing pro David Johnson advises checking that all access and garage doors are closed. And peek at your basement windows to make sure there are no visible gaps in the seals. "These subgrade windows can get snow and water buildup in them and leak, or they may have a vent open that you forgot about in warmer weather," says James.

Wrap exposed piping

"As wintry weather sets in, it’s important to make sure that all exposed piping is wrapped with foam pipe insulation or pipe sleeves," says Johnson. Keep in mind that exposed piping isn’t just on the exterior of your home. "It's also in your garage, basement, crawlspace and attic — any area that is unheated," he says.

Enclose hose bibs (aka outdoor faucets) in insulation covers, and if your home has isolation valves for your hose bibs, turn them off and drain the bibs. Do the same for your actual hoses, then disconnect them.

Clear drains and gutter downspouts

Prevent a slippery mess around your home's exterior by removing any debris from drains and gutter downspouts — just the downspouts, as winter is not the time to get on a ladder and clean out your actual gutters! Clearing potential clogs will "help prevent the buildup of water that can turn into ice once it turns cold," says James. Just make sure to wear gloves and have a screwdriver handy in case you need to remove a drain lid.

Warm up with a space heater

When used safely and according to the manufacturer's directions, these gadgets can keep things toasty if you lose central heating. Fox says you should place space heaters at least three feet away from anything combustible — bedding, drapery, furniture — and never, ever leave them unattended, even for a short time. "When purchasing a space heater, consider one with a timer and setting that will automatically turn the device off in the event it tips over," she adds.

Fox advises against using candles for warmth because of the fire risk. And leave your oven off — you may think it's an easy way to cozy up your kitchen, but it's "extremely dangerous and can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning," she says.

Have snow-removal gear on standby

Digging your way out of a mountain of compacted snow and ice sounds fun to pretty much no one, and the longer you wait, the worse it can get. Keep your snow removal gear inside your house or garage, right by the door, and once it's safe to do so (winds have died down, there's no hail or sleet), start clearing a pathway. Don't forget to throw down some ice melt to tackle slippery spots. "Even one bag of salt will help you with that surprise freeze overnight," says James.

Invest in alternate power sources

Having a generator or portable power station can turn a potential catastrophe into more of a nuisance, especially if your area experiences frequent brownouts during snow and high winds. "One of the most overlooked winter prep tasks is not having small engines, like a generator, ready to use when weather hits," says James.

If you do end up losing power, follow these tips from Frontdoor electrical expert Johnny Sharif: "First, make sure you have flashlights ready and easy to locate so you can check your electrical panel to see if the issue is isolated to your home or if it’s a widespread outage. If it is your home, check if any circuit breakers are tripped — sometimes they may not look like they are, so you will need to push them all the way to the 'off' position and then reset them. If all are working, then it may be a widespread outage in your area. If this is the case, it would be best to unplug any appliances or electronics that may be damaged from a power surge when the power is restored. Newer homes will have built-in whole home surge protection, but this is still good practice."

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.