What to do when the power goes out in freezing weather
Carbon monoxide is the #1 killer during winter blackouts
More people die from carbon monoxide poisoning during winter power outages than from the cold itself. Never bring a generator, charcoal grill, propane camp stove, or outdoor heater inside your house, basement, or garage.
When the power goes out in winter, even gas and oil furnaces usually stop working because their electric blower fans and ignition switches need wall power. Your goal is not to heat the whole house—it is to trap your family's body heat inside one small space.
If you only do three things
- Move everyone (and pets) into one small interior room with few windows, and close the doors to the rest of the house.
- Never use a gas oven, stovetop, charcoal grill, camp stove, or generator inside your home or garage—carbon monoxide has no smell and kills silently.
- If indoor temperatures will drop below 40°F (4°C) overnight, shut off your Main Water Valve and open faucets to drain the pipes before they freeze and burst.
How to build a 'One Warm Room' micro-climate
An average human body radiates about 100 watts of heat—the same as an old incandescent lightbulb. Four people in a giant living room cannot warm the room, but four people inside a small bedroom or indoor tent can raise the air temperature by 15 to 20°F (8 to 11°C).
- Pick an interior room (or a small south-facing room that gets daytime sun) with the fewest windows and lowest ceiling.
- Tack or tape heavy blankets, comforters, or towels over any windows, and stuff rolled-up towels tightly against the crack at the bottom of the door.
- Cover bare hardwood or tile floors with rugs, couch cushions, cardboard, or mattresses—cold floors suck heat out of your feet and body.
- Pitch a camping tent right on top of your bed or mattress, or drape blankets over four chairs/tables to create a low blanket fort. Sleeping inside a small covered tent indoors traps your warm breath and body heat.
- Put on dry thermal layers, a warm hat, and loose wool socks *before* you feel shivering cold. It is much easier to keep existing body heat than to warm up once chilled.
First-hour winter blackout checklist
Do these immediately when the power goes out
Save your battery and heat right away.
Helpful winter preparedness gear
Essential life-safety monitor showing exact CO parts-per-million during outages.
Check availability →Heats a single room safely when paired with a battery CO detector and cracked window.
Check availability →Safe indoor battery power for phones, CPAP machines, and electric blankets with zero fumes.
Check availability →Related guides
- Safe heating vs. deadly carbon monoxide: Generator rules, space heaters, fireplaces, and candle myths.
- Food, water, and draining pipes in a blackout: When and how to drain your plumbing so pipes don't burst.