What is your grilling season?

Cooking Discussions
1

I regularly see mentions of “grilling season.” What is this season of which people speak? Even people in Texas, Florida, and Southern California see to have seasons. Now we rarely get the sort up temperatures seen in Alaska or upper Michigan it does get cold here in Maryland. Not for as long as New England say but just as cold.

Our grilling season here is from 1 January to 31 December.

What do you do to extend grilling season and make your life easier?

We move the grill closer the back door (not quite as close as before we had an indoor-only cat sigh).

We turn up the grill as temperatures get colder to make up for heat loss.

Since days become shorter and our outdoor lighting is not quite enough to read thermometers I use a headlamp.

I put platters on top of the grill to warm.

What do you do when the snow flies?

2

Here in metro Detroit, I’m acquainted with a significant number of folks who grill year-round. These people are using propane powered grills. God love 'em.

I gotta say, lump charcoal & briquet users here in my area are weather limited to a late April to late September grilling season. Just today I moved my Mo Weber back into his off season rest spot in the garage.

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3

Why? I’ve cooked Thanksgiving turkey over charcoal. As long as it isn’t pouring rain it doesn’t matter. Light snow is okay. grin

4

So. Oregon coast, my season is the same as yours. Propane grill under cover, wind might be the only problem I would have.

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I know Michigan weather. I’m acquainted with Maryland weather (the Blizzard of 2002?). Our “climates” don’t match. Mid 50s and 10 mph winds west, north westerly in metro Detroit are dramatically different from anything on the eastern shore. :smirk:

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6

And perhaps the odd bit of ash on your steaks. grin

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7

The grilling weather in NJ April-Nov is usually very doable.

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8

Short days and snow make the rules for me. There’s grill season and snow shoveling season at our house here in Massachusetts.

I need to be able to get our propane-powered grill nice and clean before putting it to sleep for the winter, because of critters. Also our grill lives on a patio and otherwise I’d be digging it out of snowdrifts. While I don’t mind shoveling snow, there’s only so much digging I want to do. Usually that means I’m buttoning up no later than the end of October. I open the grill back up in April or May depending on what Mama Nature has to say.

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9

Yeah, a lot of that lately, but I grill with the lid closed.

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10

I’m not very good at taking pictures. Somehow I feel that a picture of grilling in the snow is coming this winter? grin

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11

And you should.

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12

Like @Rooster I’m in NJ as well. We’ll grill all year as long as I don’t have to shovel a path to the grill. I’m pretty close to the ocean and our temperatures are often above freezing when just a mile into town it is below so I may get some extra grill time in. There was many The Spout would leave for school in the rain and it would be snowing at school 2 miles away.

And like @Auspicious I’ve used my grill to help with Thanksgiving cooking on several occasions.

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