Real-World Story: Minnesota Blizzard Lock-In

GoBag.One™ | GoBag or Stay Home™

Blizzards don’t roar in like action movies. They creep—wind rising, temps falling, roads glazing over until even the plows hunker down. That weekend, Minnesota shut the door. We were locked-in by ice ridges and white-out. No panic. We ran the stay plan and took notes.

Key Takeaways

• Stay beats stuck: If roads are lethal, the mission is comfort, heat retention, and information—not hero runs for milk.
• Moisture is the enemy: Wet clothes and boots pull heat; drying lines and trays matter more than gadgets.
• Small routines keep morale: Hot drinks, quiet tasks, and a status board keep the house moving in the right direction.

Main Points

0:00 — Forecast Turns, We Choose “Stay.”
NOAA stacked warnings: dropping temps, sustained winds, blizzard conditions. We fueled the car, locked the decision early, and staged the house—water topped off, headlamps out, door kit ready, pantry menu on the fridge.

+3 Hrs — White-Out & Drifts.
Visibility went to zero between gusts. Plows stopped. We taped drafts at the north windows and sealed the hallway with a blanket to build a warm room. Boots on trays, gloves over a paracord drying line. The loudest tool we used was a towel.

+6 Hrs — Heat Discipline.
We weren’t out of power, but the furnace worked overtime. We dropped the thermostat a couple degrees and dressed up—beanies, mid-layers, wool socks. A cheap foam pad under the coffee table turned sitting into insulation. Hot water lived in the thermos to cut appliance cycles.

+10 Hrs — The Long Evening.
Headlamps on moonlight mode for reading. One lantern in the kitchen on low. Radio checks hourly. We ran a simple, salty dinner and left the oven out of it. (Carbon monoxide doesn’t care about good intentions.) Kids rotated card games, dog did laps, nobody paced.

+18 Hrs — Maintenance & Mindset.
We did a gear reset: batteries into lanes (Fresh / In Use / Dead), stove canister count, glove rotation, wet socks changed. Everyone updated the status board—outside temp, wind guess, plow sightings. It sounds silly; it prevents a hundred “what now?” questions.

+26 Hrs — Dig-Out Recon.
Wind eased, visibility returned. We cleared a path to the street in stages—no heroics, lots of breaks. The car started because we’d kept it cycled. Neighbors checked neighbors. Nobody needed a rescue because nobody tried to prove anything to the storm.

Pro Tips

• Door kit + drift control: Wedges keep interior doors where you want them; a shovel staged inside the main door saves swearing.
• Drying plan: Trays for boots, line for gloves/socks, a small fan on low to move air in the warm room.
• Car readiness: Park nose-out, wipers up, clear tailpipe, and cycle the engine briefly every 6–8 hours if temps are brutal.
• Menu the storm: No-cook breakfasts, one hot meal, morale drinks. Save fuel and dishes.
• Neighbor loop: Simple text ring—“Status OK?” The blizzard’s easier when porches talk.

Related Links

Shelter-in-Place Supply Checklist • AAR: Winter Storm — 36 Hours Without Heat • 72-Hour GoBag Checklist

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