Laura is a 13-year-old girl living with her family in the Dakota Territory. Small for her age with long brown braided hair, she strongly prefers working outdoors alongside her father rather than performing domestic tasks. She resents the restrictive expectations placed on young women but dutifully commits herself to her studies to help her sister.

Almanzo is a 19-year-old homesteader who comes to the Dakota Territory with his brother to raise wheat. He falsely claims to be 21 to secure a land claim under the Homestead Act. He is fiercely protective of his seed wheat but possesses a risk-taking nature and a growing sense of community responsibility.

Charles, known to his family as Pa, is the adaptable and optimistic patriarch of the Ingalls family. He possesses a deep connection to the wilderness and correctly reads nature's signs warning of a hard winter. He leads the family's survival efforts, constantly inventing new solutions when supplies run out, and uses music to maintain his family's morale.

Caroline, known to her family as Ma, is the steadfast matriarch of the Ingalls family who prefers the domestic sphere over the wilderness. She constantly stretches meager resources to keep her family fed, demonstrating incredible ingenuity with limited supplies. Though generally supportive of her husband's decisions, the extreme winter tests her patience and forces her to assert firm boundaries.

Mary is the eldest Ingalls daughter, who lost her sight after contracting scarlet fever. She possesses a patient, uncomplaining temperament and is intensely studious. Her primary ambition is to attend a college for the blind, a goal that motivates her family to save their meager funds.

Carrie is one of the younger Ingalls daughters who attends school in town alongside Laura. She is initially timid about encountering strangers in town but faces her anxieties with her sister's support. She endures the harsh winter confinement by participating in family recitations and household chores.

Grace is the youngest member of the Ingalls family. As a small child, she relies entirely on her parents and older sisters for care, comfort, and entertainment during the long months confined to the storehouse.

Royal is Almanzo's older brother who runs the feed store in De Smet. Unlike his brother, Royal is a storekeeper rather than a farmer, viewing their supplies primarily as commodities. He provides a pragmatic counterpoint to Almanzo's agricultural ambitions and risk-taking behavior.

Cap is a charismatic schoolboy in De Smet who displays remarkable independence and bravery. When a blizzard strikes during school hours, he confidently breaks away from the group to find his own way home. He later volunteers for a highly dangerous mission to secure food for the starving town.

Mary is a young girl in De Smet who quickly befriends Laura Ingalls. Having moved from the East, she views the frontier winter as a novelty rather than a deadly threat, leading to occasional disconnects with Laura's more serious perspective on nature.

Minnie is another schoolgirl from the East who forms a friendship group with Laura and Mary Power. Like Mary, she lacks experience with the brutal realities of frontier weather, casually discussing blizzards as if they were thrilling adventures.

Mr. Foster is a man in De Smet who attempts to help the community but often acts foolishly. He nearly causes disaster by firing a gun from Almanzo's horse and losing control of the animal during an antelope hunt.

Mr. Edwards is a boisterous old friend of the Ingalls family from their previous travels. He pays a brief but joyful visit when a train temporarily breaks through the snow, secretly slipping Mary a twenty-dollar bill to help fund her college education.

Mr. Boast is a homesteader and friend of the Ingallses who chooses to ride out the winter in his claim shanty rather than moving to town. He represents the extreme isolation endured by those who stay on their rural claims.

Mrs. Boast is Mr. Boast's wife who endures the brutal winter in their isolated claim shanty. She brings a rare and precious pat of butter to share with the Ingallses during their delayed Christmas celebration.

Loftus is a local businessman who initially funds the perilous trip to secure wheat for the starving town. However, when the wheat arrives, he attempts to price-gouge the desperate townspeople, revealing a ruthless profit-driven mindset.

Anderson is a homesteader living twenty miles outside De Smet who has safely stored a supply of wheat. Having not seen anyone since October, he is initially reluctant to sell his grain but is persuaded by aggressive negotiations.

Reverend Alden is the former pastor of the Ingalls family. Even from a distance, he remembers them kindly and attempts to send them supplies to ease their holiday.