How do you stay safe in extreme cold without heating?

Short answer. When the heating fails, pick one room and gather everyone there. Close off the rooms you don't need and block drafts ²⁸. Wear loose layers, eat regular meals and drink warm, sweet drinks instead of alcohol ¹². A body temperature below 95°F (35°C) is a medical emergency ¹⁴⁵. Never heat your home with a gas oven, grill, camp stove or generator, because they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning ²³⁴.

Why is losing heat dangerous, and who is most at risk?

Normal body temperature is about 37°C (99°F). Health Canada says the risk of harm rises once the core temperature drops by 1 or 2°C (1.8 or 3.6°F), the first stage of hypothermia ⁷. The NHS defines hypothermia as a body temperature below 35°C ⁵. The CDC treats a temperature below 95°F as a medical emergency, and Ready.gov uses the same figure of 95 degrees; 95°F is the same threshold as 35°C ¹⁴.

Health Canada lists infants under 1 year and seniors 65 years or older among the groups most at risk. So are people without housing, outdoor workers and people living in poorly insulated homes ⁷. The CDC adds "older adults with inadequate food, clothing, or heating" and "babies sleeping in cold bedrooms" ¹. It also says infants under one year should never sleep in a cold room, and that people over 65 should check the temperature of their home often during extreme cold ².

Outdoors, Health Canada warns that the risk of windburn and frostbite rises at wind chill values below -27 ⁷. The NHS says frostbite can occur at 0°C (32°F) or below ⁶.

How do you recognize hypothermia?

The signs are easy to miss, especially in someone who is confused or very tired.

Health Canada's staging shows that shivering can stop as hypothermia gets worse ⁷. When someone who was shivering stops but is still confused or clumsy, that is not a sign of recovery.

How do you recognize frostbite?

The CDC says redness or pain in any skin area may be the first sign. Later signs are white or grayish-yellow skin, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, and numbness ¹. The NHS lists early signs as cold, firm skin, numbness or a stinging or burning feeling, and red or pale skin. As it gets worse, the skin can become hard, frozen and white, blue or blotchy, with swelling and blisters. Skin that turns black and hard has begun to die ⁶.

Health Canada describes mild frostbite (frostnip) as yellowish or white skin that is still soft to the touch. Severe frostbite "can cause permanent damage to body tissue if it is not treated immediately" ⁷.

What should you do while waiting for help?

Get medical help right away if the person's temperature is below 95°F (35°C), or if you think they have hypothermia ¹⁵. Then, according to the CDC, Ready.gov and the NHS:

• Move the person into a warm room or sheltered place ¹⁵.
• Remove wet clothing. Wrap them in dry blankets, a sleeping bag or towels, and cover their head ¹⁵.
• Warm the center of the body first: chest, neck, head and groin ⁴.
• If they are fully awake, give a warm non-alcoholic drink and some sugary food ⁵.
• Keep them awake by talking to them, and do not leave them alone ⁵.

For frostbite, the agencies agree on warm, not hot, water. The CDC says "warm-to-touch water" ¹ and the NHS says "warm (not hot) water" ⁶. The NHS also suggests removing rings and tight items, putting cold hands in the armpits, and raising the affected part to reduce swelling ⁶.

What not to do:

• Do not rub or massage the skin or limbs ⁴⁵⁶.
• Do not use a heating pad, hot water bottle, heat lamp, fire, radiator or hot bath ⁴⁵⁶.
• Do not give alcohol ⁵⁶.

How do you keep one room warm without heating?

The aim is to make a small space hold the heat from people, food and sunlight.

Choose one room. Krisinformation, Sweden's official crisis information service, advises: "If it gets cold in your home, choose a room where the family can gather" ⁸. The CDC says to "close off unneeded rooms" ².

Stop drafts. Stuff towels or rags in the cracks under doors. Close the curtains or cover windows with blankets at night ². Seal gaps around windows and doors, and lay extra rugs on the floor ⁸. Keep doors and windows shut unless you need them open ².

Build a smaller warm space inside the room. Krisinformation suggests building "a den out of furniture, blankets and mattresses" ⁸. This gives a smaller pocket of warm air to rest in.

Watch the most vulnerable. Keep infants out of cold rooms when they sleep, and check on older adults often ².

What should you wear?

The CDC describes three layers ²:

1. Inner layer. Fabrics that hold body heat and don't absorb moisture.
2. Middle layer. Insulation. "Natural fibers, like wool, goose down, or a fleece work best."
3. Outer layer. "Tightly woven, and preferably water and wind resistant."

The CDC's prevention page recommends "several layers of loose-fitting clothing" ¹. Health Canada also advises layers with "a wind resistant outer layer" ⁷. Clothes that fit loosely trap air, and you can take off or add a layer as you need to. Stay dry: the CDC warns that "wet clothing chills the body quickly" ², and both the CDC and the NHS say to remove wet clothing from someone with hypothermia ¹⁵.

What should you eat and drink?

"Eating well-balanced meals will help you stay warmer," says the CDC ². It advises against alcohol and caffeine, which make the body lose heat faster, and suggests hot sweetened drinks or broth instead ². The NHS gives the same advice about alcohol for people with hypothermia or frostbite ⁵⁶.

What are the carbon monoxide risks?

The cold itself is not the only danger. People in cold homes often turn to fuel-burning devices, and these can poison them. The CDC lists the symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning as headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion ³.

• Never heat with a gas oven or stovetop. "Never heat your house with a gas oven" (CDC) ³. Ready.gov also says never to use a gas stovetop ⁴.
• No grills, camp stoves or charcoal indoors. The CDC warns against using generators, gas or charcoal grills, camp stoves or similar devices inside the home ². It also says "Never burn charcoal indoors" ³.
• Generators stay outside. Run them more than 20 feet (about 6 m) from windows, doors and vents ³. Ready.gov says the same about attached garages ⁴.
• Detectors. Install a battery-operated CO detector ², ideally one on every level of the home ⁴. Check the batteries when the clocks change in spring and fall ³.
• Fireplaces and space heaters. Use fireplaces and wood stoves only if they vent properly to the outside. Keep space heaters at least 3 feet (about 1 m) from drapes, furniture and bedding, and never cover them ².

What official agencies recommend

The agencies broadly agree. They differ in their focus and in a few details:

• United States (CDC, Ready.gov). These agencies give the most detail on CO, with the 20-foot generator rule and detectors on every level ²³⁴. They put the emergency threshold at 95°F, and the CDC advises warming frostbite in "warm-to-touch water" ¹⁴.
• United Kingdom (NHS). The NHS uses 35°C as its hypothermia threshold. It has the clearest list of what not to do, including no hot bath, hot water bottle, heat lamp or rubbing, and it says to cover the person's head ⁵⁶.
• Canada (Health Canada). It stages hypothermia by how far core temperature has dropped, and it uses a wind chill of -27 as the point where frostbite risk rises ⁷.
• Sweden (Krisinformation). It explicitly advises gathering the household in one room and building a den of blankets and mattresses ⁸. It also suggests cooking on a camping stove or barbecue when the stove doesn't work, but it does not say where to do this ⁸. The CDC says these devices must never be used inside the home ². Use them outdoors only.

Frequently asked questions

At what body temperature is hypothermia an emergency?

Below 95°F (35°C), according to the CDC, Ready.gov and the NHS ¹⁴⁵. Health Canada notes that below 32°C shivering may stop, and that below 30°C there is a danger of death ⁷.

Can I use my gas oven to warm the kitchen for a few hours?

No. The CDC and Ready.gov both say never to heat a home with a gas oven or stovetop ³⁴. A battery-operated CO detector should be working in any home that uses fuel-burning appliances ².

Should I rub frostbitten fingers to warm them up?

No. Ready.gov and the NHS both say not to massage or rub the area ⁴⁶. Use warm, not hot, water or body heat, for example hands in the armpits, and avoid direct heat such as a radiator or fire ⁴⁶.

What if I'm stranded in a car in the cold?

The CDC advises running the motor and heater for about 10 minutes each hour, with one window slightly open ². Ready.gov recommends keeping warm clothes, blankets, water, snacks and a flashlight in the car ⁴.

Is caffeine a good way to stay warm?

No. The CDC says alcohol and caffeine both make the body lose heat faster. It recommends hot sweetened drinks or broth instead ².

Next step: the cold-weather part of your kit

Most of what keeps a household safe during a cold outage has to be in the home before the heat goes off. That means warm layers and blankets, a battery-operated CO detector ², extra batteries for flashlights, and supplies to stay home for several days without power ⁴. The Phaenyx plan lists them for your household, with a plan for one warm room. Build your Phaenyx plan.

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Preventing Hypothermia — https://www.cdc.gov/winter-weather/prevention/index.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Safety Guidelines: During & After a Winter Storm — https://www.cdc.gov/winter-weather/safety/stay-safe-during-after-a-winter-storm-safety.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics — https://www.cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide/about/index.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Ready.gov (U.S. Department of Homeland Security / FEMA) — Winter Weather — https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. NHS (United Kingdom) — Hypothermia — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hypothermia/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. NHS (United Kingdom) — Frostbite — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/frostbite/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. Health Canada — Extreme cold — https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/environment/extreme-cold.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
8. Krisinformation.se (Sweden) — Power cuts — https://www.krisinformation.se/en/hazards-and-risks/power-cuts (accessed 2026-10-20)