Winter storms often possess a mesmerizing beauty. But they can do plenty of harm via extended power outages, icy roads, and frozen pipes, which can severely damage a home. To get through an extreme whiteout unscathed, you need to be prepared.Although the potential number of storms in an upcoming season can’t be predicted in the same manner as hurricanes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration does release long-lead US weather forecasts. Fair warning: The NOAA’s website is clunky to navigate, but it offers a trove of forecasting data that can help provide a general sense of what to expect in any particular US region in the months ahead.