Due to being Canadian, we are often faced with not-so-good weather (mostly an abundance of snow). Not only does this affect our commute and mood, it also can affect our Internet connection.

Keep in mind Internet connection cannot be affected completely by weather – generally this is a snowball (no pun-intended) effect on already existing problems outside the home. So check out Worldline’s 4 ways weather can affect Internet connection.

Wind, wind, go away!

High winds can cause incoming lines to be stressed and break. What does that mean for you? Your connection will definitely not be optimal. It may even be dropped due to any lines being damaged. A broken incoming line does not always look broken – these lines can also break inside the protective layer, not noticeable to the everyday person. There isn’t much you can do about this but yell at mother nature and contact your local law enforcement agency.

Drive with caution. 

Of course, during big storms it is not recommended that you hit the road with a vehicle. Nearly 30% of Canadian car accidents occur on icy or snowy roads, according to Traffic Accident Information System (TAIS) research. That means during stormy weathers, not only are the drivers at risk, but so are their surroundings. Meaning various connection points between the central office and customers’ houses are at risk. If someone takes out one of these connection points, there is a good chance you will be having problems with your connection.

Your termination box should be in tip-top shape.

Consider your termination box the home for your precious Internet. Unfortunately, these sacred boxes can undergo some tampering from previous bad weather, wear-and-tear, or your neighbours kids who like to play baseball in their backyard. Exposed wires can have snow or ice build-up during storms, causing the lines to short out. This is one of those items that you don’t see everyday; so you may not know it’s been damaged. Make a point to check up on your termination box every one in awhile to ensure your box is not damaged and exposed to the elements.

Cable users unite.

What do you want to do during a storm? Definitely not take a walk outside. Perhaps cozy up on your couch and stream some Netflix. The problem with this? Everyone is streaming  Netflix, browsing the Internet or chatting with their friends through social media during a storm. For cable users, you may find that your Internet connection is much slower than usual, caused by an over-abundance of active Internet users in your neighbourhood.

So when your region is dealing with an inconsiderate storm and your Internet connection seems slow – you may be affected by these 4 factors.