It’s important to stay connected with your loved ones and emergency services during a snowstorm. It’s also true that snowstorms can impact your phone network, preventing you from staying in touch. But what about Wi-Fi? Does a snowstorm affect Wi-Fi?

It’s unlikely for a snowstorm to affect your Wi-Fi. But it can still happen, in some cases, indirectly. Since the Wi-Fi in your home is connected through phone lines, you may get disconnected from the internet if something happens to the phone lines.

Keep reading below as we discuss the common ways that a snowstorm can affect your Wi-Fi and what you can do in such an event.

Does Snowstorm Affect Wi-Fi?

It’s uncommon for bad weather to have an impact on Wi-Fi, but there could be a reason why you’re experiencing bad Wi-Fi during a snowstorm. Most reasons have to do with correlation rather than causation. These reasons are discussed in the section below.

For more information on how bad weather affects internet connection, watch this video below:

Do Bad Weather and Storms REALLY Affect Internet Connections?? – Let’s Benchmark the weather!

High Internet Demand

The majority of individuals, when they are confined to their homes due to a snowstorm, have just one option left to spend their time: they can go online. When so many people sit in their homes looking through content on their mobile devices, the internet connection is likely to be slow because of the large number of users.

Low Temperatures

It’s true that fiber and copper cables can still function even at extremely low temperatures since they are made to withstand them. Fiber optic cables may even function better in the event of a snowstorm since they transmit signals via light. 

However, low temperatures can lead to underground heaves, which can, in turn, cause damage to power lines.

Damage to Infrastructure

Snowstorms can indirectly impact your Wi-Fi by causing damage to the internet infrastructure in the region where you live. This happens when the phone lines connected to your Wi-Fi get weighed down and damaged due to the accumulated snow or ice. You will still be able to connect to the Wi-Fi router or modem, but there won’t be any access to the internet.

Router/Modem Issues

Extremely cold weather can slow down your Wi-Fi, especially if your Wi-Fi device is outside the house. The moisture may also damage your device.

Power Outage and Wi-Fi

A power outage is a different scenario in which your Internet could go down.

Power grids are one of the most common targets of blizzards and snowstorms. If there is an issue with the grid that serves the city, it may have an effect on the connectivity on both your end and that of your Internet service provider (ISP). 

If your power supply is disrupted, you are in for a lot of trouble, yet you might be more worried about the milk spoiling in your refrigerator than you are about being unable to check your email. 

Because the two systems are not connected, you can continue accessing the internet using your phone even if the power is off, provided you still have mobile service.

Yet you’ll need good old fashioned energy if you want to connect to the Internet through your Internet service provider (ISP). Even if the battery on your laptop is completely charged and it is not plugged into an outlet, it still needs to be connected to the internet via your modem and router.

Some individuals are prepared for situations like these with a backup generator. An uninterruptible power supply is essential for people who rely on technology that they simply cannot afford to be without, such as respirators and other medical equipment. 

Yet, it can also function as a backup for modems and routers if power lines are disrupted.

What to do if Bad Weather Causes My Wi-Fi to Slow Down?

If severe weather causes a slowdown in the speed of your internet connection, there are several things that you can try to remedy the situation.

Restart the Modem

Remember to turn off the device and wait at least a few minutes before attempting to use it again. This is a go-to technique for solving internet problems and may be applied in many different contexts.

Connects Fewer Devices

If you are utilizing multiple devices, you should try to unplug the ones that aren’t as important right now. This will make the ones you most urgently require load faster. It would be beneficial if you made an effort to incorporate this practice into your day-to-day usage as well.

Place your Router in a Secure Area

You should move your router to a new position if it is close to a window or a door. This will help prevent the signal loss that can occur due to interference from water droplets.

Purchase a New, Powerful Router

If your router seems to be malfunctioning, you might want to consider replacing it. A Wi-Fi router’s poor performance may be a result of its design limitations.

Wait for Better Weather

Those who have the patience to wait should do this. We realize that there could be instances where this is not feasible. If there is a storm, it is usually best to disconnect.

Sit Close to the Modem/Router

If your Wi-Fi connection is weakening because of bad weather, moving closer to the system can help. The Wi-Fi gets progressively weaker the farther you are from the system.

Summary

It goes without saying that if a severe storm approaches your location, you should ensure that you have prepared adequately to protect both you and your loved ones. This is the most crucial thing.

In light of this, give the aforementioned suggestions a shot to strengthen your existing Wi-Fi connection while the outside temperature is really low.