NOAA’s Winter Outlook: Prepare Before the Next Storm

NOAA released its winter outlook on October 15, 2026. For households preparing for the season, the immediate work is at home: check how you would manage a loss of heat, electricity or road access. Follow local forecasts when a specific storm threatens your area.

The outlook favors warmer conditions across much of the northern United States and wetter conditions across the southern tier and East Coast for December 2026 through February 2027. NOAA identifies El Niño as an important influence. These are seasonal probabilities, not a forecast for the next storm or a promise of mild conditions at your address. NOAA specifically says the outlook does not predict seasonal snowfall totals. Read NOAA’s October 15 release.

Identify your household’s first concern

Think through an ordinary winter evening, from making dinner to getting everyone home. Which tasks would stop if you lost electricity, water or road access?

Write down the tasks your household would struggle with first. An apartment may depend on an elevator and electric cooking. A rural home may depend on a well pump. A family with a long commute needs a plan for someone who cannot get home promptly. Use those needs to decide which preparations deserve attention first.

Assign each task to someone and set a date to finish it. Finding and charging the lantern on Saturday gives the household a clear job to complete.

Check the house before severe weather

CDC’s winter preparation guidance recommends checking the home before a storm, including weather-stripping, vulnerable water lines and roof leaks. If a fireplace or wood stove is part of your plan, CDC advises an annual chimney or flue inspection. Arrange qualified help for work you cannot do safely. CDC: Preparing for a Winter Storm, December 2, 2025.

Make the inspection easy to repeat. Keep a one-page list near the household calendar: service appointment, supplies checked, phone numbers saved, and the date of the next review. Renters can use the same list to discuss building responsibilities with their landlord rather than assuming someone else has handled them.

Plan a safe way to stay warm

A cold house is no place to improvise with equipment that was never intended to heat it. EPA warns against using gas ovens, stoves or barbecue grills for home heating and recommends checking smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Follow the placement and maintenance instructions for your alarms and any approved heating equipment. EPA: Winter Weather and Indoor Air Quality, updated December 17, 2025.

Also decide where you could go if the home becomes unsafe. Choose a relative, friend or officially opened warming location, then consider transportation and pets. Confirm the destination and transport arrangements before you need to leave.

Put supplies where they will be used

The National Weather Service’s winter checklist includes flashlights, spare batteries, a weather radio, extra food and water, and supplies for children and pets. Its central concern is that a winter storm can interrupt heat, electricity, communications and access to supplies. NWS: Before a Winter Storm, accessed October 21, 2026.

Decide where each supply belongs. Put a light near the usual entry, keep the radio somewhere everyone can find, and label the drawer containing charging cables. Check the vehicle’s kit separately; supplies at home cannot help a driver who is away from home.

A Ready Hour USB Emergency Lantern is one option to compare for area lighting. The Ready Hour 4-in-1 Emergency Radio provides AM/FM/NOAA reception. Read the operating instructions and have the household practice using them.

Agree on a neighbor check-in

Ask a nearby friend or neighbor how you will check on one another if conditions deteriorate. Agree on a simple message and an appropriate time to send it. Avoid promising help you cannot safely provide.

Share your backup destination and contact arrangements with the people involved, and review the plan as forecasts change.