Winter Storm Checklist for Families

What should a family do before a winter storm?

Before a winter storm, stock water and no-cook food for everyone, charge phones and power banks, test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, gather a month of medicines and warm layers, fill the car's tank, and agree who checks on whom. Then add the extras your household needs: baby sleep layers, a grandparent's thermometer, pet water that won't freeze.

A family storm plan is the generic list plus the three or four things only your household needs.

Here's how that conversation usually goes the evening the forecast turns. Our side follows the American Red Cross winter storm guidance and the CDC's Preparing for a Winter Storm page (reviewed December 2025).

YouStorm warning for Thursday. Two kids, my dad lives with us, and a dog. Where do I even start?

Honest Little AppsWater and power first. The Red Cross says at least one gallon of drinking water per person per day, and a stay-at-home kit with at least two weeks of supplies. Charge every phone and power bank tonight.

YouDad's on four medicines.

Honest Little AppsThe Red Cross suggests a 1-month supply of needed medicines and a card listing each one and its dose. The CDC adds a tip for adults over 65: put an easy-to-read thermometer somewhere he'll see it often, because a cold room can creep up on you.

YouWe have a fireplace and a space heater if the power goes.

Honest Little AppsThen the CO alarm matters most. The CDC says to put a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near any area you'll heat with a fireplace, wood stove or kerosene heater, and to test it monthly. Keep anything that can burn 3 feet from heaters, and never heat the house with the oven or stove (Red Cross). Generators only outdoors, away from windows.

YouAnd the baby? She's 8 months.

Honest Little AppsKeep loose blankets out of the crib even when it's cold. The AAP's safe sleep guide (updated September 2026) says to dress a cold baby in layers or a wearable blanket, about one more layer than you'd wear yourself, and watch for overheating.

Your winter storm checklist, built for your house

This list starts with the basics every household needs and grows with the buttons you tapped at the top. Tick things off and the ring fills. It saves in this browser only, and the print button gives you a clean paper copy for the fridge.

Storm checklist

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How to keep the plan past this storm

The checklist gets you through Thursday. The bigger risk is February, when the same scramble starts again because nobody wrote anything down. Three steps make it stick:

Write the Emergency Card onceWho to call first, allergies, medicines and health notes for each person, including your dad and the kids. In Family Ready it's free and opens without internet once your phone is unlocked.
Tick the kit, not just this listFamily Ready's free kit checklist is based on Ready.gov and Get Prepared (Canada) guidance, with optional sections for children, older adults, pets and rural homes.
Pick a review dateChoose a 3, 6 or 12 month review schedule so batteries, medicines and phone numbers get a look before next winter.

What Family Ready looks like

One design decision guided the app: the screen you need in a crisis should be calm. Emergency Mode is high-contrast, large text, with no ads, pop-ups or purchase prompts, and you tap a contact to start a call yourself.

Family Ready showing an Emergency Card saved and ready on the device — **One card**Contacts, allergies, medicines.

Family Ready Emergency Mode with large text and offline copy in use — **Offline**Opens with no signal.

Family Ready plan screen with plan review and plan sections — **Reviews**Every 3, 6 or 12 months.

Paper list, notes app or Family Ready?

A printed list is a fine answer, and you should keep one either way. Family Ready is ours, so weigh our view accordingly.

Option	Good at	Weak at
Printed list on the fridge	Works when the phone is dead	No reminders; goes stale by next year
Phone notes app	Already there, easy to share	No structure for medicines or contacts; no review dates
Family Ready	Offline Emergency Card, kit checklist, review schedule, free Snapshot PDF	Only as current as what you enter

Honest limits

This checklist is general preparation, not a substitute for local warnings. Follow your local emergency officials and the National Weather Service.
Family Ready organizes information you enter. It is not an emergency-response, medical or monitoring service and does not contact emergency services. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
Keep a printed copy too. No app can help if a phone is lost or out of battery.
Who should pick something else: if someone at home depends on powered medical equipment, talk to their care team and your power company about a backup plan first. A checklist can't replace that call.

One Thursday, three generations

An illustration, not a real family.

Tuesday night. The forecast turns. You tap Baby, Older adult and Pets on this page and get 22 items. You tick seven before bed: water, chargers, the radio batteries.

Wednesday. You refill your dad's prescriptions and fill in his Emergency Card: four medicines, the penicillin allergy, his doctor's number. The kids help find mittens.

Thursday, 6 p.m. The power goes. The baby sleeps in her wearable blanket, the dog is inside with a full bowl, and the thermometer by your dad's chair reads 64°F.

Next March. The app's review reminder asks if anything changed. One phone number did.

Winter storm questions families ask

How much water does a family need for a winter storm?

The American Red Cross says to set aside at least one gallon of drinking water per person per day. A family of four needs at least 4 gallons a day, so a three-day stretch is 12 gallons.

How many days of supplies should we keep for a winter storm?

The Red Cross suggests a go-kit with at least three days of supplies you can carry, a stay-at-home kit with at least two weeks of supplies, and a 1-month supply of needed medicines.

Can a baby sleep with a blanket during a power outage?

The AAP says to keep loose blankets out of the sleep area. Dress a cold baby in layers or a wearable blanket, about one more layer than an adult would wear, and check for sweating or a hot chest.

Is it safe to use a space heater during a winter storm?

It can be with care. The Red Cross says to keep anything that could catch fire at least 3 feet from heaters, and never to heat your home with a cooking oven or stove. Keep a working carbon monoxide alarm nearby.

Is the Family Ready app free?

Yes. The Emergency Card, Emergency Mode, offline access, household plan, kit checklist, encrypted backup and the Emergency Snapshot PDF are free. Family Ready Plus is an optional subscription for sharing, sync and extra printable packs.

Ready for this storm, and the next one.

Write the Emergency Card once, keep the kit checklist, and let a review reminder bring it back next winter.

Make it a habit with Family Ready · Free on iPhone