How to survive a winter storm

At the end of December 2022, a huge winter storm hit the United States and swept across the entire country, causing massive damage and taking the lives of over 60 people. This was one of the worst storms the US has seen for years and due to our atmosphere continually getting worse, it’s definitely not going to be an uncommon sight in the future.

Learning how to survive a winter storm is important because people just get unlucky and find themselves in an impossible situation, but there are certainly things you can do to increase your chances of staying alive, no matter how bleak the situation looks.

Wear the correct clothing

If there’s the slightest chance you could be stranded outside, assume it’s going to happen and dress accordingly. One of the most important things to remember is that walking through a storm is hard work and all the snow landing on you will melt, so if your outer layer isn’t waterproof you’re going to be in trouble. As with everything related to survival, preparation is key, and the right clothing will be the single most important thing you can do to increase your chance of making it through.

(If Driving) Get off the roads and stay in your vehicle

A winter storm may seem driveable at first, but it won’t be long until the roads become a major health hazard. Even if your vehicle is capable of driving on ice, everyone else’s probably isn’t. Visibility will drop and accidents will happen, so don’t risk your life for a deadline. Pull over somewhere safe, where someone won’t skid into you and remain in your car, and only run the engine for 10 to 15 minutes an hour to keep the temperature up, because you may be stuck there for a while.

Take Cover

The average adult in standard urban winter clothing, which is any winter clothing not specifically made for arctic conditions, will be able to survive in a blizzard for about 3 hours without any cover before something really bad happens. The wind will push snow and ice deeper into your clothing and rapidly remove heat from your body and clothes, so the stronger the wind, the greater the need to get out of it.

Don’t risk travelling

By vehicle or by foot, because even though it may seem possible at first, visibility could plummet and cause you to take a wrong turn or get stuck somewhere without shelter. No deadline is worth your life, and as a good example of how important it is not to travel, here’s the story of Funatsu Keizo, who traveled a few feet from his tent during a blizzard and couldn’t find his way back, narrowly escaping with his life.

Maximize any potential heat source

Something as small as a candle can make a huge difference in a car or small vehicle, but if you find yourself without the ability to create heat, then maximize what you have. Tuck every layer of clothing except the outer layer into the waistband of your trousers, and if you have more than one layer on your legs, tuck the inside one into your socks. Tighten up the cord around your hood and wrists, and basically do everything that you can to trap any tiny bit of heat within your clothing.

Move around to create heat

short bursts of intense movement will help greatly to increase your body temperature, but be careful not to do it to the point that you sweat, as moisture within your clothing is your worst enemy at this point. A few push-ups or jogging on the spot for 30 seconds are the kinds of things that help the most, and even if you’re stuck in a car, you can find some kind of intense movement to do for a few seconds.

Stay hydrated

If you pass out in very cold weather then it’s probably going to be the last thing you ever do, and the colder the weather the faster it will sap moisture from your body, so staying hydrated is a good way to avoid unwillingly falling asleep. The driest air in the world is located at the poles because all moisture freezes and sticks to the ground as frost, which causes people to lose water by breathing faster than they would in the desert. Never eat snow and never put a bottle of anything frozen against your skin, but if you don’t have the ability to thaw it in your environment then the best thing to do is hold it in your gloves and breath on it or put it in your pocket away from direct contact with your skin.

Wear everything you can

When stuck at home or in a normal building, there will be a good chance that you’ll lose power and the heating won’t work. The first thing to remember is not to use any kind of patio or gas heater that could cause carbon monoxide poisoning, because you probably won’t notice it’s happening until it’s too late. Instead, head to your wardrobe and wear everything you can, to the point where you look ridiculous. If you can fit 10 pairs of socks on, then do it, and the same goes for all other items of clothing. Also don’t be afraid to get creative and look elsewhere for warmth, like wrapping a load of bath towels around your feet or laying them over your bed at night, it may sound silly but when the heat goes out and you’re trapped in a freezing house, it’ll feel a hell of a lot less silly.

Hopefully, some of these tips will be useful should you ever find yourself unlucky enough to be trapped in a winter storm, but nothing beats being prepared. Placing a cold-weather survival kit in the boot of a car or in a cupboard somewhere is never a bad idea, and you don’t have to spend anything on one. It could be as simple as a couple of warm blankets and a few candles, basic items that could save your life in the right situation.