How to Prepare for Snow and Extreme Cold

Cold weather is rarely dramatic, which is exactly why it catches people out. Snow and ice close roads and bring down power lines, and a heating failure that would be an inconvenience in October becomes dangerous in January, especially for older people, babies and anyone with a long-term health condition.

This guide covers keeping a home warm and safe through a cold snap, what to do if the power or heating fails, and how to recognise the two cold weather dangers that do most harm: hypothermia and carbon monoxide.

Before the cold arrives

• Have your heating serviced. The UK Government advises having gas appliances checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fuel-burning appliance. The UK Government advises an audible alarm meeting British or European standards (BS Kitemark or EN 50291). Battery-powered ones keep working in a power cut.
• Find your stopcock, the valve that turns off your mains water, and check it turns. If a pipe freezes and bursts, you need to shut the water off in minutes.
• Insulate pipes in unheated spaces such as lofts, garages and outside walls.
• Get blankets, sleeping bags and warm layers where you can reach them without power.
• Keep a torch, a battery or wind-up radio and a charged power bank, since snow and ice bring power cuts. See our power cut guide.
• Stock a few days of food and water in case roads close. Our 72-hour kit checklist covers what to keep.
• If someone depends on heating or powered equipment for their health, sign up to your energy supplier's Priority Services Register in Great Britain, and make a plan with their care team.

Keeping warm

The UK Government's advice is to heat the rooms you spend most time in, such as the living room and bedroom, to at least 18 °C (64 °F), wear several thin layers rather than one thick one, and keep windows closed, particularly at night.

It lists the people most at risk from cold as older adults, people with long-term health conditions, pregnant women, babies and young children, people with learning disabilities, people at risk of falls, people who live alone or are housebound, and people who are homeless. If that describes someone near you, check on them during a cold spell.

If the heating or power fails

• Choose one room, ideally small, on the sunny side of the house and away from outside walls, and gather everyone in it.
• Close the doors to the rest of the house and block draughts under them.
• Hang blankets over windows after dark.
• Layer up, including hats, and use sleeping bags and blankets.
• Eat and drink regularly. Hot drinks help if you can heat water safely.
• Keep moving a little rather than sitting still for hours.

Recognising hypothermia

Hypothermia is when body temperature drops dangerously low. The NHS lists the symptoms as shivering, pale, cold and dry skin, slurred speech, slow breathing, tiredness or confusion. Older people and babies can become hypothermic indoors, in a home that is simply too cold, without ever going outside.

Frozen and burst pipes

• If a tap produces nothing in freezing weather, a pipe may be frozen. Turn off the water at the stopcock before you try to thaw it.
• Thaw gently with a hot water bottle or a hair dryer on a low setting, starting from the end nearest the tap. Never use a naked flame or blowtorch.
• If a pipe bursts, turn off the stopcock immediately, switch off electricity if water is near any electrics and it is safe to reach the consumer unit, and call a plumber and your insurer.

Travelling in snow and ice

The simplest advice is not to travel if you do not need to. If you must, the UK Government points to the Met Office and RAC for winter driving advice, and it is worth checking both before the first snow rather than on the morning of it. Keep a winter kit in the car: an ice scraper, de-icer, a torch, a blanket, warm clothes, a shovel, water, snacks and a charged phone.

StayReady Kits has a Winter Car Kit type with its own checklist alongside the home kit, and a Winter Storm plan that walks through the before, during and after steps on this page, so the scraper and blanket are in the boot before the forecast turns rather than after.

Common questions

How warm should I keep my home?

At least 18 °C (64 °F) in the rooms you use most, according to the UK Government.

What are the signs of hypothermia?

Shivering, pale, cold and dry skin, slurred speech, slow breathing, tiredness or confusion, according to the NHS. Call the emergency services if you suspect it.

How do I stay warm without power?

Gather in one small room, close it off, layer up and use blankets. Never use a gas oven, stove, barbecue or generator indoors for heat.

Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm?

Yes, in any room with a fuel-burning appliance. Battery-powered alarms keep working in a power cut.