For a winter storm, the official US advice is to keep two radios: a battery-powered or hand-crank radio for local news, and a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone alert that wakes you when a warning is issued. Both are on FEMA’s Ready.gov basic emergency kit list, along with extra batteries. The reason is simple. Winter storms can cut off heat, power and communication services, and a radio that runs without mains power or the internet keeps working after your router and your phone charger have stopped.
This guide explains which radios to keep, how to power them through a long outage, and how to use them well when the storm arrives.
What the official guidance says
Three government pages cover winter storm radio preparation, and they agree on the essentials:
- Ready.gov’s kit list includes a “battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert”, plus “extra batteries” and a phone with chargers and a backup battery.
- Ready.gov’s winter weather page says the Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio provide emergency alerts. It advises households to “have extra batteries for radios and flashlights” and to gather supplies in case they need to stay home for several days without power.
- The National Weather Service’s winter preparedness page lists a “battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and portable radio to receive emergency information” for home and work, and warns against relying only on phones because of their limited battery life.
The two radios and what each one does
| NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert | Battery or hand-crank AM/FM radio | |
|---|---|---|
| What it receives | National Weather Service broadcasts on seven VHF frequencies | Local AM and FM broadcast stations |
| Main job | Waking you or alerting you when a watch or warning is issued for your county | Local news, road closures, shelter locations and recovery information |
| Typical use | Left in standby, silent until an alert | Switched on when you want an update |
| Power | Mains with battery backup | Batteries, hand crank or solar on many models |
Some radios combine both: an AM/FM receiver with a weather band and alert function, plus a crank and a solar panel. That is a sensible single purchase, as long as it has the alert feature and not just a weather band you have to remember to switch on. Our guide to choosing a portable radio explains how to judge battery life and reception claims.
Why the alert function matters most in winter
A winter storm warning can be issued at any hour, including while you are asleep and not watching the news. A NOAA Weather Radio programmed with your county’s SAME code will sound its alarm for a Winter Storm Warning (code WSW) or Blizzard Warning (BZW), according to the National Weather Service’s event code list. An ordinary radio cannot do that. Program the county code before the season starts.
Powering your radios through a long outage
The official guidance plans for several days without power, so think in days, not hours:
- Stock the right batteries. Check which size each radio and flashlight takes and keep spares for each. Ready.gov also advises replacing expired items as needed, so check the dates every autumn.
- Use the crank or solar panel early. Keep the batteries for night-time. Wind the crank or put a solar radio on a sunny windowsill during the day.
- Listen in bursts. A radio left on all day drains batteries far faster than one switched on for news at the top of the hour.
- Keep your phone alive for calls. Ready.gov lists a backup phone battery. Turning off apps that run in the background stretches it further; ajmm.org explains how to stop apps draining your phone battery in the background.
A safety warning about generators
If you run a generator to power radios or anything else, follow the official rules exactly. Ready.gov says generators and fuel should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages, and the NWS says never to run a generator in an enclosed space. Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless. Ready.gov recommends working carbon monoxide detectors with battery backups on every level of the home.
Where to keep the radios
Placement decides whether the radios help at the moment you need them. Put the weather radio where its alarm will wake the household, such as a landing or a bedroom near the stairs, and keep batteries in it so that it carries on working after the mains supply fails. Keep the AM/FM radio with the flashlight and spare batteries, in a spot you can find by touch in the dark. A kitchen drawer works better than a basement shelf behind holiday decorations.
If anyone in the house has hearing loss, think about how they will notice an alert. Put the weather radio in the room where they sleep, and make sure someone else in the house knows to check on them when it sounds.
Which stations to listen to
Before the storm, find out which local stations carry emergency information in your area. Write the frequencies on a piece of tape on the radio itself. That saves you scanning the dial in the dark.
- A local news or talk station is usually the best source for closures, travel conditions and shelter information.
- AM stations can be heard over long distances, which helps if your local FM station loses power. Our explainer on how AM and FM radio work covers why the two bands behave differently.
- NOAA Weather Radio gives the official forecast and warnings directly from the National Weather Service.
For more background on why broadcast radio keeps working when other networks fail, see our guide to radio when everything else fails.
Don’t forget the car
Ready.gov advises keeping an emergency kit in the car, including jumper cables, sand, a flashlight, warm clothes, blankets, bottled water and non-perishable snacks, and keeping a full tank of fuel. The NWS vehicle list adds a mobile phone with a charger and batteries. If you are stuck in a vehicle, Ready.gov’s advice is to stay inside it.
Your car radio is a good source of local news while you wait, but it runs from the car’s battery. A small battery radio in the glovebox lets you hear updates without draining the battery you will need to start the engine later.
A short pre-storm checklist
- Test both radios and replace weak batteries.
- Program your county code into the weather radio and confirm it receives the weekly test.
- Note your local emergency stations’ frequencies on the radio.
- Charge your phone and backup battery fully.
- Put the radios, spare batteries and a flashlight in one place everyone in the house knows.
- Sign up for your community’s warning system, as Ready.gov recommends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of radio do I need for a winter storm?
Ready.gov recommends a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert. Some models combine both functions in one unit.
Can a regular AM/FM radio pick up NOAA Weather Radio?
No. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts on VHF frequencies between 162.400 and 162.550 MHz. You need a weather radio, a scanner or a radio with a dedicated weather band.
How many batteries should I keep for a power outage?
Official guidance plans for several days without power. Keep enough spares for each radio and flashlight to cover that, and replace expired batteries every season.
Is a hand-crank radio enough on its own?
A crank radio is useful for news, but it will not wake you for a warning. Pair it with a NOAA Weather Radio that has a tone alert, or choose a combined model with an alert function.
Is it safe to run a generator to power my radio?
Only outdoors and at least 20 feet from windows, doors and attached garages, according to Ready.gov. Never run a generator in an enclosed space, and use carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.