Can Christmas Inflatables Stay Out in Rain and Snow? When to Deflate, Dry and Store

A drizzle or a short shower is the one wet condition the makers allow for. IP44 means protection against splashing water from any direction, so a figure with that rating is built for water thrown against the fabric and the fan housing. It is not built for hard rain, standing water or a fan sitting in a puddle.

The wording differs from figure to figure, so check the one you own. The manufacturer lists the 7 ft polar bear scene as IP44 and still says to bring it in during hard rain or snow. The 6 ft train is also rated IP44 and carries a stricter line: do not use it outdoors in heavy rain, snow or wind.

The 12 ft snowman has no IP rating on its page and is to be taken down before heavy rain, snow or wind. The 8 ft snowman carries the same line, do not use it in heavy rain, snow or wind. The 8 ft Santa has weather-resistant fabric, and its page says to take the display down before heavy rain or snow.

Snow is on the same list as heavy rain: the makers who give weather guidance say to take the figure down for it. None of the pages we sell from lists a lowest working temperature, so there is no number to plan around, and we do not give one. If a snowstorm is forecast, treat it as a take-down night.

If light snow lands on a figure that has settled onto the lawn when the fan stopped, brush it off before you start the fan again, so the fabric is not pulled up with a load of snow on it. Wet or frozen fabric folds badly, so leave it until it is dry.

Frozen ground is a stake problem more than a weather problem. Set the stakes before the ground freezes, or use longer metal stakes or sandbags where the soil has gone hard. Our guide https://urban-picks.com/guides/how-to-secure-inflatable-yard-decorations has the stake and tether setup.

A staked, tethered inflatable handles an ordinary breezy evening. A gust in a storm is another matter: the figure is a fabric shell held up by a small fan, and wind pushes on it like a sail. When strong gusts or a storm are forecast, unplug the fan, let the figure deflate on its stakes or bring it inside.

A figure that has settled onto the lawn is safer than one standing in a gale, but loose fabric can still flap and drag, so stake the base before the weather turns. After a windy night, walk around the display and reset any stake that has worked loose.

The 12 ft snowman, the 8 ft snowman and the 6 ft train are the ones on this page whose makers name wind, along with rain and snow, as a reason to take the figure down.

The fan has to stay connected to power for the figure to stand. The 7 ft polar bear scene, the 12 ft snowman and the 6 ft train all say so on their pages, and unplugging is how you deflate them. Where the fan is plugged in matters as much as the weather.

Plug into a GFCI-protected outdoor outlet and keep the plug connection off the ground, out of puddles and out of the snow, for example inside a weatherproof cord cover. The 12 ft snowman and the 6 ft train have a 9.8 ft cord and the 7 ft polar bear scene a 6 ft cord, so a farther outlet needs an extension cord rated for outdoor use. Our guide https://urban-picks.com/guides/outdoor-christmas-inflatables-size-yard-lights-power lists the cord length of every inflatable we carry.

The 12 ft snowman and the 6 ft train are made to run no more than eight hours at a time. An outdoor plug-in timer that switches the fan on at dusk and off at bedtime keeps within that, and it also means the figure settles down at night instead of standing in whatever the weather does at 3 a.m.

Unplug the fan, and the figure deflates by itself: the pages of the 12 ft snowman, the 6 ft train and the 8 ft Santa all say the body deflates when the fan is off. Do it on a dry day if you can.

Lay the figure out and let any water drain off the fabric. Wipe the fan housing and the plug with a dry cloth, shake off leaves and dirt, and keep the fan intake clear of folded fabric. Do not fold a damp figure: dampness trapped in a folded shell is how mildew starts.

A dry garage, porch or spare room works for drying. If the fabric is wet through, spread it out and give it time rather than folding it to get it out of the way.

When the fabric is fully dry, fold it loosely, without creasing it hard along the printed or lit panels. Coil the tethers, empty the sandbags if the figure comes with them, and keep the stakes, the tethers and the manual in the same box as the figure, so next year's setup starts with everything in one place.

The polyester bodies fold small. The 12 ft snowman, 141.7 in tall when it is inflated, and the 6 ft train both deflate for storage, so you do not keep a rigid six- or twelve-foot display in the closet. The 8 ft snowman weighs 3 lb.

Store the box somewhere dry, off a damp basement floor and away from anything sharp. Next season, plug the fan in on the lawn before you stake the base to check the figure inflates and the lights come on.

The table lists what the page of each inflatable says about weather and power, in the makers' words. Where a cell says none, the page gives no rating or no rule on that point. Sizes are the inflated sizes. All of these ship to US addresses only.