B737-700
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control; Flight Crew Returned To Gate
Aircraft; Weather; Procedure; Human Factors
Pushing off gate/listening to Ground. There was a lot going on with weather approaching the field; certain departure gates shut off and others open. Push crew cleared off/weren't using headsets due to [weather hazards]. We were clearly distracted with what was going on with Ground as it was a question of starting one or both engines and whether we were delayed or departing immediately. We thought we were ready for taxi and with the frequency very busy; I called when there was a break. As the Captain powered up #2; it became immediately apparent that there was no nose wheel steering. Captain stopped the aircraft immediately and set parking brake. We were both at a loss that we had skipped the whole Before Taxi Flow/Checklist. We took a minute to discuss how we got there and knowing we had been distracted; 'reset' ourselves and continued with the Before Taxi Flow and Checklist.[Suggest] Self awareness during high workload that things can unknowingly be skipped.
Pushed back and disconnected from tug. Only started one engine for departure delays due to weather at the field. As I cleared off the tug; we heard over the Ground frequency that all departure gates were closed for weather. The FO (First Officer) and I discussed our plan to taxi off ramp and wait for weather to pass. After that; I must have believed that he did the after-start flow and we did the Before Taxi Checklist. However; I was wrong. We cleared left and right and I started to move the aircraft; but immediately I knew the aircraft was not configured properly for taxi. I stopped the aircraft and started the after-push procedures again. The distraction of the weather delays got me out of my normal routine; as well as the FO's. Neither one of us trapped the errors until too late. We ended up with a return-to-gate event.While we start engines routinely and do Before Taxi Checklists several times a day; we can get distracted by outside factors. I should have delayed the discussion about weather or anything else until after the start flow and Before Taxi Checklist was complete.
B737 flight crew reported that complications and distractions due to weather led to the lack of proper checklist completion; resulting in the nose wheel steering being unavailable during taxi.