How does Starlink work?
Starlink is a satellite internet provider. It brings you a connection to the internet by sending and receiving signals between the dish, ground stations and satellites. This connection in particular is usually much faster than most other satellite internet providers, because of their satellites' unique Low Earth Orbit (LEO). With more satellites and a closer proximity to earth, you get less latency, thus faster speeds. So, what can you expect from your Starlink in extreme weather?
How Rain and Snow can Affect Your Connection
Usually, Starlink has no issues in average rain and snowfall. But as we were reminded this week, Colorado can have sudden intense precipitation. In these instances, the density of the water in the air (from rain, snow, hail etc.) can essentially become an “obstruction” for the dish. This can sometimes cause intermittent connection issues lasting a minute or two, or rarely, outages.
If your problem is snow cover, know that Starlink has a built-in heater to keep snow off the dish. If you go into your Starlink App, you should have a “Snow Melt Configuration” setting. The options are OFF, AUTOMATIC, or PRE-HEAT. Automatic is the default. If you expect extreme weather, you could use the pre-heat setting to keep the dish warm to prevent snow accumulating on or around it.
If you have your dish on the ground, your deck, or other low location, it is more likely you may have connection issues resulting from obstructions. We recommend having your dish professionally installed on your roof for best speeds and reliability.
"If your problem is snow cover, know that Starlink has a built-in heater to keep snow off the dish. If you go into your Starlink App, you should have a “Snow Melt Configuration” setting. The options are OFF, AUTOMATIC, or PRE-HEAT. Automatic is the default. If you expect extreme weather, you could use the pre-heat setting to keep the dish warm to prevent snow accumulating on or around it."
Lightning & Power Outages
Starlink’s website states it meets the U.S. National Electrical Code (NEC) grounding requirements. You can reduce the risk of damage further by unplugging your equipment from power during lightning storms. Another option is plugging your Starlink into a surge protected power strip.
Note that if you lose power at any time, your Starlink will reboot and should come back online when your power returns.