How to handle snow, ice, and freezing weather

Free, plain language guides for people seeing snow for the first time, driving on ice, keeping pipes from bursting, and staying warm when power fails. Works offline.

Never seen snow before? Start with the First-Time Snow Playbook, use the 3-layer clothing guide, and learn how to walk on ice without falling.

Car stuck in snow or sliding on ice right now? Go straight to getting your car unstuck safely (clear your tailpipe first!) or what to do on black ice.

Hard freeze or storm tonight? Open the pipe freeze calculator & drip guide, the 48-hour storm countdown, or staying warm if the power goes out.

Find local winter road conditions (511), warming centers (211), and freeze rules:

Or browse all 51 US areas, 13 Canadian provinces, and 4 UK nations →

Choose your situation

1. First time in snow What snow, sleet, and black ice feel like, the 3-layer clothing rule, and the penguin walk. 2. Driving & stuck cars Clearing a frozen windshield (no hot water!), black ice slides, and getting unstuck safely. 3. Home & frozen pipes At what temperature pipes burst, which faucets to drip, and finding your main water shutoff. 4. Storm approaching Step-by-step 48-hour and final 6-hour checklists before a blizzard, ice storm, or freeze hits. 5. Power outage in the cold The "One Warm Room" strategy, deadly carbon monoxide traps to avoid, and draining plumbing. 6. Shoveling & ice melt Shoveling heavy snow safely, and why rock salt stops working below 15°F (-9°C). 7. Cold health & pets Frostbite and hypothermia first aid, protecting dog paws from salt burns, and outdoor cats. 8. Supplies & checklists Interactive checklists for your Car Trunk Winter Kit and 7-Day Home Kit, saved on your phone. 9. 60 Winter expressions & rules Plain-English definitions and safety guides for Polar Vortex, Black Ice, Graupel, Penguin Walk, and more.

Interactive Clothing & Wind-Chill Layering Calculator

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Decode winter weather alerts, survival rules & idioms

Heard a weather term like bomb cyclone, graupel, or hard freeze and want to know what to actually do? Browse our encyclopedia of all 60 Winter Expressions →

Polar Vortex Bomb Cyclone Alberta Clipper Nor'easter Lake-Effect Snow Thundersnow Freezing Rain Sleet Graupel Black Ice Hoarfrost Rime Ice