Skip to content
Grow In Backyard
Grilling & BBQ

Can I Leave My Grill Outside in the Winter? Mostly Yes

Grills are built for outdoors. What fails is moisture sitting in burners and fireboxes, so the prep matters far more than whether it stays out.

By Zakaria 3 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
Sausages cooking on the bars of a small charcoal grill
Photo: webandi, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
On this page

Yes, mostly — grills are built to live outdoors. Cold does very little. What ruins them is grease and ash holding moisture against metal all winter, which means the prep matters far more than whether the grill comes inside.

What actually causes the damage

This table answers the question on its own
Does damageDoes not
Grease + ash + waterYes — the main cause
Trapped condensationYes
Repeated wet and dry cyclesYes
Dry coldLargely harmless
Snow sitting on a clean coverHarmless
Freezing water in a dirty fireboxYes

A sealed cover can be worse than no cover

Non-breathable plastic traps condensation against the metal, and it never dries. Rust and mildew start there. Use a fitted breathable cover, secured against wind, and lift it on a dry day occasionally to let the grill air.

The autumn routine

  1. Burn off and scrape the grates.
  2. Empty all ash from a charcoal grill — ash is hygroscopic and holds water against the firebox.
  3. Clean the grease trap and wipe the interior.
  4. Dry everything completely.
  5. Wipe grates and cast iron with a thin film of cooking oil.
  6. Gas grills: check burner ports are clear, then cover the gas inlet so insects cannot nest.
  7. Cover with a breathable cover, secured.

The propane tank

Never store a propane tank in a garage, shed or basement

Propane is heavier than air and pools at low level, so a leak in an enclosed space is genuinely dangerous. Tanks are designed for outdoor storage: disconnect, cap the valve, stand it upright, away from the house.

Grilling through the winter

If you plan to keep using it:

  • Check the hose for cracks before lighting — rubber stiffens in cold
  • Expect longer preheats and higher fuel use
  • Clear snow off the lid before opening, so it does not fall into the firebox
  • Keep the path to it clear — most winter grilling accidents are slips, not fires

Rain or snow?

Rain is usually harder on a grill than dry cold snow. Wetting and drying repeatedly is what drives corrosion, so a mild wet winter does more harm than a dry freezing one.

The response is the same either way: clean, dry, oil, breathable cover.

Common questions

Can you leave a grill outside in the winter?

Yes, for the most part — grills are built to live outdoors, and cold itself does very little damage. What actually ruins them is moisture sitting in the firebox and burners along with grease and ash, which together hold water against the metal all winter. A grill cleaned out, dried, lightly oiled and covered with a breathable cover survives winter well. One put away dirty and wrapped in a sealed plastic sheet often comes out worse than one left uncovered.

Should you cover a grill in winter?

Yes, with a cover that breathes. A tight non-breathable cover traps condensation against the metal, which is worse than rain because the moisture never dries, and it is where rust and mildew start. A fitted cover made for outdoor use, secured so wind cannot lift it, and lifted occasionally on dry days to let the grill air, protects well. Make sure the grill is completely cold and dry before covering it.

Should I disconnect the propane tank from the grill for winter?

Disconnect it, and store the tank outdoors, upright, away from the house and never in a garage, shed or basement. Propane tanks are designed for outdoor storage and a leak in an enclosed space is genuinely dangerous because the gas is heavier than air and pools at low level. Cap the tank valve, and cover the grill's gas line opening so insects cannot nest in it over winter, which is a common cause of poor performance come spring.

What should you do to a grill before winter?

Clean it thoroughly, because grease and ash are what hold moisture. Burn off and scrape the grates, empty the ash from a charcoal grill completely, clean out the grease trap, wipe down the interior, dry everything, then wipe the grates and any cast iron with a thin film of cooking oil. On a gas grill, check the burner ports are clear and cover the gas inlet. Then cover the whole thing with a breathable cover.

Does cold damage a gas grill?

Cold alone is not the problem; moisture and ice are. Water sitting in burner tubes or the firebox can freeze and expand, and repeated freeze-thaw accelerates corrosion wherever grease and water are already combined. Regulators and hoses also stiffen in cold, so a gas grill used in winter should be checked for cracks in the hose before lighting. Cast iron grates left damp will rust through a single winter.

Is it worse to leave a grill out in rain than in snow?

Rain is generally harder on a grill than dry cold snow, because it wets everything and then sits. Repeated wetting and drying is what drives corrosion, and a grill left uncovered through a wet mild winter usually fares worse than one through a dry freezing one. Either way the fix is the same — clean it out, dry it, oil the iron and use a breathable cover so water is not held against the metal.

Backyard Weekly

Know what to plant, week by week

Join the weekly email for seasonal jobs, fixes for what is going wrong, and gear worth buying.

Not ready to subscribe? The planting calendar is free and needs no email.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. Grow In Backyard will never sell your address.

Keep reading