Picture this: you’ve invited all your friends and family over for a backyard barbecue. You’ve set up the buffet with all your superb side dishes, and the meat and veggies are marinating in the fridge. Next thing you know, Mother Nature has other plans, and she starts to rain on your parade. Never fear: as you move the party indoors, you can still grill in the rain.

But do you know how to grill in the rain? Short of moving the cooking inside along with your guests, you can still use your trusty charcoal or propane grill in the rain.

Tip 1: Don a rain jacket and find a helper.

Do you have a big umbrella and a raincoat? Protect the food from the rains while a friend lends a hand while holding the umbrella.

Tip 2: Maintain the heat.

Cook times may end up being longer because of the cooling effects of the rain on the grill, so keep an eye on temperatures of your food with a thermometer. If you’re using a charcoal grill, you may even need to add more briquettes to stoke the fuel and keep the fire hotter.

Tip 3: Cut down on grill time.

Depending on your menu, shorten the time you have to grill in the rain by pre-cooking some meaty items in the oven. Then, finish them on the grill to get that smoky barbecue flavor. You may also want to use Foil-Pack Dinner Recipes if you’ve got all the ingredients on hand!

If you’re willing to brave the inclement weather, grilling in the rain is not too big of a hassle. We definitely don’t recommend moving your grill to the garage or under another over-hang. Grilling produces carbon monoxide, which is dangerous to inhale.