A forecast of heavy snow for Saturday arrives on Wednesday. The client asks whether the event will go ahead. Guests are asking the client. The caterer wants to know whether to order food, the band is driving in from another city, and nobody has agreed on who decides or who pays if the roads close.
A winter weather plan agreed before the season settles those questions. It sets when decisions are made, who makes them, how everyone is told and what the contract says about delays, smaller counts and cancellation.
What Is a Winter Weather Event Contingency Plan?
A winter weather event contingency plan is a written agreement between the venue and the client on how snow, ice and storms will be handled for a specific event. It sets decision times and who makes the call, the options available (go ahead, delay, reduce, postpone or cancel), how guests, vendors and staff are told, and which contract terms apply to each outcome. It should be attached to the contract for events in winter months and reviewed in the final planning meeting.
Set Decision Times
The plan needs fixed points when the parties review the forecast and decide. Without them, decisions drift until it is too late to act.
A common structure uses two or three checkpoints. An early review several days out, to alert vendors and consider options. A firm decision point, often 24 to 48 hours before, when the event is confirmed, delayed, reduced or postponed. And a final check on the day, for sudden changes such as an ice storm.
Base the timing on your vendors. If the caterer needs 48 hours to stop an order, the firm decision must come before that.
Use a reliable forecast source and agree which one both sides will use, such as the national weather service for your area. Arguments over whose forecast to trust waste the hours the checkpoints are meant to protect.
Agree Who Decides
State who makes the call. Often the client decides whether to proceed, with the venue's input, while the venue can decide to close if conditions make the building or roads unsafe, or if authorities order closures.
Write the venue's right to close for safety into the contract. If public officials close roads or issue travel bans, the decision may be made for you, and the contract should say what happens then.
Communication Steps
Decide in advance who tells whom. The client usually tells guests. The venue tells its staff and vendors it contracts with. The client tells vendors it hired directly.
- Prepare message templates for each outcome
- List contacts and backup contacts for every vendor
- Agree on channels, such as email, text and the event website
- Update the venue's voicemail and website if the venue closes
- Brief staff on reporting times and safe travel
Send updates at each checkpoint, even if nothing has changed. Silence makes people assume the worst.
Contract Terms for Each Outcome
The plan works only if the contract says what each outcome costs.
Delay
If the start is delayed by a few hours, state whether the end time moves, whether overtime applies and how staff costs are handled.
Reduced count
If guests cannot travel, state whether the guaranteed count still applies or whether the client may reduce it, and by how much. Many venues allow a reduction only if the decision is made before food is ordered.
Postponement
If the event is moved, state how deposits and payments transfer, whether fees apply and the window for a new date. Your postponement policy may already cover this.
Cancellation
If the event is cancelled, state whether force majeure applies, what is refunded, and what costs the client still bears, such as food already purchased. Draft the winter weather clause together with your force majeure clause so the two agree.
Winter Weather Plan Template
Adapt this outline with your attorney.
"The venue and client will review the forecast at 72 hours and 36 hours before the event start time. A firm decision to proceed, delay or postpone will be made by 6 p.m. two days before the event. If government authorities close roads or issue travel restrictions affecting the venue, or the venue determines that conditions are unsafe, the venue may close, and the event will be postponed under the postponement terms of this agreement."
"If the event proceeds and the client reduces the guaranteed count before the firm decision deadline, the reduction will be applied. Reductions after that time are charged at the original guarantee. The client will notify guests, and the venue will notify its staff and contracted vendors."
Prepare the Building
Weather plans also cover the venue itself. Arrange snow removal and de-icing in advance, with a backup contractor. Stock salt, mats and wet floor signs. Check heating, generators and emergency lighting.
Walkway safety deserves its own procedures, including inspections, salting schedules and incident reporting, so keep those in your facilities plan.
Write Your Winter Plan This Week
Draft a winter weather plan template with decision times, communication steps and contract terms. Add it to contracts for events between November and March, or whatever your winter season is. Train your team on the checkpoints and messages. When the first storm appears in the forecast, you will already know what to do.
A plan made in fair weather is the one that holds up in a storm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides whether to cancel an event for snow?
The contract should say. Often the client decides whether to proceed, the venue can close for safety, and official road closures or travel bans may decide for both. Agree on the decision process in advance.
Does force majeure cover winter weather?
It may, depending on the clause's wording and the severity of the weather. Some clauses list severe weather, while others require that performance be impossible. Have your attorney review how your clause applies.
Can a client reduce the guest count because of snow?
Only if the contract allows it. Many venues allow reductions if they are made before food is ordered, and charge the original guarantee after that. State the rule in your winter weather terms.
What should a venue do to prepare for winter events?
Arrange snow removal and de-icing, stock salt and mats, check heating and backup power, and prepare communication templates. Add a winter weather plan to contracts for the season. Brief staff on reporting and safety.
