When Grilling In The Rain, Water Isn't Your Biggest Threat

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Nobody plans their backyard barbecue expecting rain. But once those dark clouds start rolling in, most people's first instinct is that the rain will ruin everything. But here's the truth — wind is actually the bigger issue. Wind whips around your grill, stealing heat faster than your briquettes can create it. It pushes rain sideways onto your food, snuffs out your flames, and makes maintaining a steady temperature nearly impossible. And if it's blowing in your direction? You'll occasionally have a face-full of ash while you're grilling.

So, when bad weather hits, get to work setting up a wind barrier. You can use anything that's handy — plywood works great, so does a sturdy tarp. Place it a few feet out from your grill. What's worth keeping in mind is that you're not building a wind-breaking wall in the literal sense. Rather, you're making a wind deflector. If you seal things too tightly, you lose the airflow your grill actually needs to function safely. What you want is for that wind to hit your barrier and sweep around the sides, leaving your fire and food in a calmer pocket. Then pump up the heat to compensate for whatever heat loss occurs, and you're set.

These tricks will work for the occasional rainy cookout. But if you live somewhere that rains regularly, you'll need something more permanent.

In bad enough weather, the grill itself can shift or tip — especially models on wheels. MacGyver some wheel chocks from cinder blocks or heavy stones and wedge them tight against the wheels. That'll keep things anchored.

For longer-term protection, invest in a high-quality grill cover (or grill jacket) with fasteners you can actually tighten down. It'll protect your grill when you're not using it and keep rust and moisture from eating away at the metal, in addition to keeping your grill fire crackling along even while cold wind is buffeting at it (this makes it great for cold weather grilling, too). For something more robust, a grill canopy or gazebo shields your setup from multiple angles and lets you grill through most weather — a smart investment if you live in high-rain zones like Louisiana or Mississippi. A roomy 9-inch patio umbrella will work fine for drier climates or if you simply don't go picnicking or host backyard grill parties often enough to justify an  8x5 Grill Gazebo. Whatever you end up choosing, that investment pays off the first time it keeps your grill from getting soaked and rusted out.