Here's the scenario:
A terrible snowstorm hits your area and 3 feet of snow accumulate after a couple hours. The roads are impassable for days and you don't have a 4WD so you can't get out. The electricity is knocked out, which is a big problem since you use electric heat. The temperature is below freezing outside, and soon the inside of your house starts going towards equilibrium. You also lack a fireplace.
How do you safely stay warm inside your house without using a generator or anything else that requires an expensive investment?
Thanks.
If you are talking about just what you have on hand, then your best bet is to use the smallest, windowless room in the house. If you have a basement, use that- the earth makes a good insulator. Wear as much clothing as you can to conserve body heat.
Beyond that, you will need certain preps.
A good list to have:
Propane heaters and camp stove
PROPANE!!! Heaters and stove are useless when you run out.
Knit caps, or better, balaclavas. You lose most of your body heat through your head.
Good, thick or insulated gloves or socks. Frostbite sucks.
A large pot to boil water- make sure your camp stove will actually get hot enough to boil the water in that pot. You may need to melt and purify snow for drinking water.
Canned food. You can heat it up in the can, boxcar Willie-style.
Next level:
Wood stove. Not reallly cheap, but a good one can heat a home well. Mine measures 3'x3'x2' tall and will heat a 1400 sq ft home.
WOOD!!! See propane comment above.
Cast Iron pots and pans. Holds up to heating and cooking on top of the wood stove better than T-FAL will. Trust me on this one
Battery powered lights. Yes, you could use Coleman lanterns and a truckload of candles, but remember that flames need oxygen, just like you. No sense in CO2 poisoning just for light. I have a few crank generator LED camp lights that will provide light for 5 hrs with only a few minutes worth cranking.
Radio/TV. Battery powered of course. Weather band a plus. Just to keep you informed of just how screwed you may be.
CB/HAM radio. If the cell towers are dead, your cell phone won't work, if phone lines are down your land line won't work. CB is cheap, needs no license, and many people have them. Ham radio will transmit farther.
That's about all I can remember from the last time I got snowed in.