How to Winterize a Grill: A Step by Step Guide
Carly Vicknair - Senior Marketing Specialist, Coverstore
Carly is a Senior Marketing Specialist who brings product expertise and real customer insight to her writing on outdoor living and cover care.
Knowing how to winterize a grill is what stands between a grill that fires up in April and one that comes out of the snow rusted, clogged, and full of nesting mice. Winter is fast approaching, which sadly means grilling season is coming to an end, but there is still time to prepare your grill for the harsh weather ahead.
Below is the full process, from the deep clean through shutting off the fuel, storing the propane tank safely, sealing the burners against pests, and covering the grill. Do not wait until the first snow to hopelessly throw a tarp over it. Follow these steps now and you will have perfect ribs by the time spring rolls around.
What You Will Need
- Grill brush or scraper, plus rags or sponges
- Hot soapy water, or a dedicated Grill Cleaner and Degreaser
- Cooking oil, spray or bottle
- Plastic bags and tape to seal burners and gas line openings
- Dish soap for a gas leak test
- A weather resistant, breathable grill cover
1. Clean the Grill Thoroughly
You may be used to going over your grates a few times with a brush, but winterizing a grill requires a much more thorough cleaning. Anything you leave behind sits there for months, and grease that has cooled for a season is far harder to remove than grease you deal with now.
- If you have a gas grill, run it on high for 10 to 15 minutes first to burn off residue, then let it cool completely. Charcoal owners can do a final high heat burn for the same reason.
- Use a rag and hot, soapy water or Grill Cleaner and Degreaser to clean the outside of the grill including the burner knobs, handle, hood cover, and propane tank.
- Open the grill and clean the underside of the hood. This may take some effort, since you will likely find a large build up of carbon that looks like thin, black paint.
- Get down around the burners and remove any food, grease, or dirt. Any food particles left in the grill are an invitation to rodents looking for food and shelter for the winter.
- Empty the grease tray, and on a charcoal grill empty the ash catcher completely. Ash holds moisture against metal all winter.
For the full cleaning routine by fuel type, see our guide on how to clean a grill.
2. Coat the Inside of the Grill With Oil
Rust is your greatest enemy when the weather turns drizzly. Coating the inner components of your grill with cooking oil maintains the integrity of the parts by deterring moisture.
Wipe a thin layer over the grates and any exposed metal once everything is clean and completely dry. Oil applied over a damp surface traps the moisture underneath it, which is the opposite of what you want. If you would rather store the grates separately, bag them and keep them somewhere dry.
3. Turn Off and Disconnect the Fuel Source
Make sure you disconnect or turn off the fuel source for your grill before storing it for the winter. For grills connected to a natural gas line, turn off the valve.
If your grill uses a propane tank and you are keeping the grill outside, turn the valve to the off position. If you are storing the grill in a shed or garage, disconnect the tank first and leave the tank outdoors. Never store a propane tank inside your home, shed, or garage. Even the smallest leak in an enclosed space can be catastrophic.
Should You Disconnect the Propane Tank for Winter?
It depends on where the grill is going. Grill staying outside under a cover, tank can stay connected with the valve closed. Grill going into a garage, shed, or basement, disconnect the tank and leave it outside. The rule is about the tank's location, not the grill's.
Where to Store a Propane Tank in Winter
Propane tank storage rules do not change in the cold. Store the tank outdoors, upright, on a flat and level surface, away from any ignition source. Keep it clear of dryer vents, furnace vents, and anywhere children play.
| Location | Safe? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoors, upright, level ground | Yes | Any leak disperses into open air instead of collecting |
| Under a covered patio or overhang | Yes, if open sided | Shelters the tank while still allowing airflow |
| Attached garage | No | Enclosed space with ignition sources nearby |
| Shed or outbuilding | No | Enclosed, and gas pools at floor level |
| Basement or inside the home | Never | No ventilation and multiple ignition sources |
Does Propane Freeze?
Not in any winter you are likely to experience. Propane's freezing point is around -306 degrees Fahrenheit. What actually matters in cold weather is pressure, not freezing. Propane stops vaporizing at about -44 degrees Fahrenheit, and well before that the pressure inside the tank drops enough that the burner struggles.
If you plan to keep grilling through winter, keep the tank reasonably full, since a fuller tank holds pressure better in the cold. Frost forming on the outside of a tank is normal during heavy use and is a sign of rapid vaporization, not a fault.
4. Seal the Burners and Gas Line Openings
This is the step most winterizing lists skip, and it is the one that causes the most spring headaches. Spiders and insects nest inside burner tubes and gas line openings over the winter, and the blockage causes uneven flames, hard starts, or flare ups at the wrong end of the tube.
- Once the grill is clean, dry, and the fuel is disconnected, slide a plastic bag over the burner unit or wrap the burner tubes.
- Tape a plastic bag over the gas line opening where the tank connects.
- Write yourself a note and leave it on the grill, because removing this plastic before you light the grill in spring is not optional.
5. Identify and Repair Any Existing Problems
Damage to the grill such as cracks, leaks, or excessive wear can all be worsened by harsh weather. Fixing these issues now protects your grill from cold and moisture and gives it a longer lifespan.
- Inspect all surfaces for cracks and rust and decide whether parts need replacing.
- Check that all hoses are free of aging and holes.
- Run a leak test. Brush a mix of dish soap and water along the hose, regulator, and valve with the gas on and the burners off. Bubbles mean a leak, and that hose needs replacing before the grill is used again.
If something on your grill needs replacing or fixing, a nearby hardware store will most likely have the supplies you need.
6. Cover the Grill
Finally, we highly recommend a cover for your grill for optimal winter protection. Covering your grill with high quality, moisture resistant material is the best way to shield it from the elements and safeguard it from critters looking for shelter.
A winter grill cover has a harder job than a summer one. It carries snow load, goes through repeated freeze and thaw cycles, and sits untouched for months, which is where thin covers split at the seams and bare vinyl cracks in the cold. Look for a material that stays pliable in low temperatures, a vent so trapped moisture can escape, and straps or a drawcord that will hold through a winter storm.
Make sure the grill is completely dry before you cover it. Sealing moisture under a cover through a freeze is how rust starts. We offer grill covers in three materials, Classic, Elite, and Ultima, each with different features and benefits. For a side by side breakdown, view our Comparison Chart, or read our grill cover product spotlight.
Winterizing a Flat Top Griddle
Griddles need a different routine than a grill with grates. The cooking surface is one large piece of bare carbon steel, and bare steel left damp through a winter will rust faster than anything else in your backyard. If you are working out how to prep a Blackstone or any flat top for winter, the order matters: clean, de-rust, season, then cover.
Remove Any Rust First
Do not season over rust. If there are rust spots on the top, scrub them off with a griddle stone, a scouring pad, or steel wool while the surface is slightly warm. Wipe away the debris, wash with warm water, and dry the top completely with towels, then run the burners for a few minutes to drive off any moisture you missed. Deep pitting will not come out, but surface rust will.
Season the Top Before It Sits
A seasoned griddle is protected by a thin layer of polymerized oil, and that layer is what stands between bare steel and months of winter moisture. Wipe a very thin coat of high smoke point oil across the whole top, heat until it stops smoking, and let it cool. Repeat two or three times before storage. Thin coats are the point. A thick coat goes sticky and traps moisture instead of repelling it.
Cover It, and Measure With the Shelves Down
A hard lid alone is not enough outdoors, since water still runs into the seams and down onto the top. Use a hard cover if you have one and put a weather resistant cover over the whole unit. When you measure for that cover, measure with the side shelves in whichever position you plan to leave them for the winter, because folding them changes the footprint by a foot or more. Browse griddle and flat top covers, or order a custom size cover if nothing standard fits.
Everything else on this page still applies. Disconnect and store the propane tank the same way, seal the burner openings against insects, and check for rust again in spring before the first cook.
Storing the Grill Indoors Instead
If you have space in a garage or shed, moving the grill inside for the season is the most protective option, with one condition. The propane tank does not go with it. Disconnect the tank and leave it outside, upright, as covered above.
A grill stored indoors still benefits from a cover, just a different kind. Indoors you are protecting against dust and scuffs rather than weather, so a breathable cover is fine. Outdoors, you need weather resistance and a vent. Even moving the grill under an awning or a covered patio beats leaving it fully exposed.
Can You Grill in the Winter?
Yes, and plenty of people do. Winter grilling only requires a few adjustments. Position the grill out of the wind so gusts are not stealing heat from the vents, and expect longer preheat and cook times, since the grill is fighting the ambient temperature.
Keep the propane tank fuller than you would in summer to maintain pressure, clear snow off and around the grill before lighting rather than grilling next to a drift, and keep the lid closed as much as possible. If you are barbecuing in winter, you do not need the full winterizing routine, but the cleaning, oiling, and covering steps are still worth doing between cooks.
Getting the Grill Going Again in Spring
- Remove every plastic bag from the burners and the gas line opening before anything else.
- Check for nests and droppings, especially inside the cabinet and around the burner tubes.
- Reconnect the tank and run another soapy water leak test.
- Wipe the oil coating off the grates, then run the grill on high for 15 minutes before you cook on it.
Winterizing Your Grill FAQs
Should you disconnect the propane tank from the grill in winter?
If the grill is staying outside, you can leave the tank connected with the valve turned off. If the grill is moving into a garage or shed, disconnect the tank and leave it outdoors. A propane tank should never be stored in an enclosed space.
Can I leave a propane tank outside in winter?
Yes, and outside is where it belongs. Store it upright on a flat, level surface away from ignition sources, dryer vents, furnace vents, and play areas. Cold will not damage the tank.
Can you store a propane tank in the garage?
No. A garage is an enclosed space, propane is heavier than air and pools at floor level, and garages usually contain ignition sources such as water heaters and vehicles. The same applies to sheds and basements.
Does propane freeze in winter?
Practically, no. Propane's freezing point is roughly -306 degrees Fahrenheit. The real cold weather issue is that propane stops vaporizing near -44 degrees Fahrenheit, and tank pressure drops before that, which makes the burner weak. Keeping the tank fuller helps.
Do I need to winterize a grill if I keep it covered?
A cover handles weather, not the grease, food residue, and pests already inside the grill. Clean and oil it first, then cover it. A cover put over a dirty grill traps everything you did not remove.
How do I prep a Blackstone or flat top griddle for winter?
Scrape and clean the top, remove any surface rust with a griddle stone or steel wool, dry it completely, then season it with two or three very thin coats of high smoke point oil. Disconnect the propane tank, and cover the whole unit with a weather resistant cover rather than relying on the hard lid alone.
When should I winterize my grill?
Before the first hard freeze, and ideally while it is still mild enough to work comfortably outside. Warm grease cleans off far more easily than cold grease, so doing this in late fall is much less work than doing it in December.
Cover It Before the First Freeze
Shop grill covers built for snow load, wind, and freeze and thaw cycles, by grill brand, model, or size.
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