Omaha, NE / Wichita, KS – Winter officially begins today as Nebraska and Kansas mark the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. Across the Central Plains, safety officials say the longest night of the year also marks a peak risk period inside homes—when carbon monoxide exposure becomes more likely due to cold temperatures, strong winds, and nonstop heating use.
The Winter Solstice often coincides with sharp temperature drops across Nebraska and Kansas, especially overnight. Furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, wood stoves, and space heaters may run for extended periods as residents try to stay warm. In rural areas or during winter storms, power outages can lead some households to rely on generators or alternative heat sources, increasing the risk of carbon monoxide buildup indoors.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced when fuel-burning appliances do not burn completely or are not properly vented. Because it cannot be seen or smelled, it is widely known as the “invisible killer.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide poisoning sends tens of thousands of Americans to emergency rooms each year, with winter months posing the highest risk—particularly in cold, wind-prone regions like the Central Plains.
Medical experts warn that carbon monoxide poisoning disables far more people than it kills, often leaving survivors with long-term neurological or cognitive damage. Early symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and confusion. As exposure continues, symptoms can escalate to chest pain, vomiting, impaired coordination, loss of consciousness, and death. In winter, symptoms are sometimes mistaken for flu or cold-related exhaustion, delaying lifesaving treatment.
Fire departments across Nebraska and Kansas consistently caution that long overnight periods—such as those experienced during the Winter Solstice—are especially dangerous. Extended darkness means heating systems may run nonstop, vehicles are sometimes left idling in garages to warm up, and generators may be operated too close to homes during outages. Strong winds and drifting snow can also block exhaust vents and flues, trapping carbon monoxide indoors.
Safety officials urge residents across Nebraska and Kansas to ensure carbon monoxide detectors are installed on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. Alarms should be tested regularly, and batteries replaced as needed. Residents are advised never to use grills, camp stoves, or fuel-powered heaters indoors, to keep vents and chimneys clear of snow and debris, to operate generators outdoors and far from windows and doors, and to have heating systems inspected annually.
If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, officials say residents should leave the home immediately and call 911 or the local fire department from outside. Anyone experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure should seek emergency medical care without delay.
As Nebraska and Kansas move through the longest night of the year, safety officials say the Winter Solstice is more than a seasonal milestone. It is also a reminder that carbon monoxide—the invisible killer—poses a serious but preventable threat when extreme cold, long nights, and heavy heating use collide.
