Starlink Weather Issues
Storms causing outages and lag.
Starlink is designed to handle rain, snow, and storms, but severe weather can still cause slowdowns and brief dropouts. The dish has a built-in heater for snow and is sealed for rain, but heavy storms between your dish and the satellites can interrupt the signal. Here's what to expect and how to minimize weather impact.
Key takeaways
- Light rain and snow rarely affect Starlink; heavy storms can cause brief dropouts.
- Snow Melt mode clears snow automatically — keep it enabled.
- Obstructions make weather impact worse — a clear sky view is more weather-resilient.
- Weather dropouts are usually brief; patience and a clear dish are the fix.
How weather affects Starlink
Starlink signals travel through the atmosphere to satellites in low Earth orbit. Heavy rain, dense snow, and thick storm clouds can attenuate (weaken) the signal, causing slower speeds or brief dropouts. This is called 'rain fade' and affects all satellite internet to some degree — Starlink's low orbit makes it less susceptible than older geostationary satellite internet, but it's not immune.
Rain
Light to moderate rain usually has no noticeable effect. Heavy downpours and thunderstorms can cause speed dips or brief dropouts that clear when the storm passes. There's no fix other than waiting — the dish and connection are working correctly; the atmosphere is the problem.
Snow and ice
Snow accumulation on the dish face blocks the signal. Starlink's built-in Snow Melt mode handles this automatically by heating the dish. Keep Snow Melt enabled, and after major storms, visually check that the dish is clear.
- 1Confirm Snow Melt is enabled in the app (it's on by default).
- 2Use 'Pre-emptive' mode in heavy-snow areas for faster clearing.
- 3After major storms, check the dish and clear accumulation with a soft brush if needed.
- 4Never use sharp tools or hot water — you can crack the dish face.
Wind
Wind itself doesn't affect the signal, but a loose or wobbly mount lets the dish shift, causing micro-dropouts. Ensure your mount is secure and the dish is stable. High winds can also whip cables against edges — secure them to prevent damage.
Reducing weather impact
- Keep obstructions low — a clear sky view is more resilient to weather.
- Ensure the mount is stable so wind doesn't shift the dish.
- Keep Snow Melt enabled for winter weather.
- Secure cables against wind damage.
- Accept that severe storms will cause brief dropouts — it's physics, not a fault.
If you get dropouts only during heavy weather and your connection is fine otherwise, your system is working correctly. Weather fade is inherent to satellite internet; the mitigation is a clear sky view and a clear dish.
Frequently asked questions
Does Starlink work in heavy rain?
Does Starlink work in snow?
Why does Starlink drop out during storms?
Try these common fixes first
Power-cycle the whole system
- 1.Unplug the Starlink router from power.
- 2.Wait at least 60 seconds.
- 3.Plug it back in and wait 2–5 minutes for reconnection.
- 4.Run a speed test in the Starlink app.
Rescan for obstructions
- 1.Open the Starlink app.
- 2.Go to Settings → Obstructions.
- 3.Wait for the 12-hour scan to populate.
- 4.Move the dish to a spot with less than 2% obstruction.
Check for cable damage
- 1.Inspect the dish cable for kinks or cuts.
- 2.Reseat both ends firmly.
- 3.Replace any damaged cable with an official Starlink replacement.
- 4.Confirm the dish shows 'Online' in the app.
Still stuck? Ask SkyBeam Helper in the bottom-right chat for a fast answer.