Before flying in cold environments, follow the guidelines below to ensure long battery life and safe operation of your drone.
Quick Steps
- Keep your batteries warm before flying
- Only operate your drone within the published operational temperature range
- Avoid bare branches and other thin objects like icicles
- Use caution when flying above areas covered with smooth snow wider than 30 ft (9 m)
Read the full Safety and Operating Guide before flying and check out How to charge and maintain your Skydio X2 batteries for more information on battery maintenance and storage.
Cold weather guidelines
| Visual Navigation |
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Do not fly around objects less than 0.5 in (1.27 cm) in diameter such as thin branches, utility lines, ropes, and netting.
[note] Cold weather usually means less leaves and more bare branches—use extra caution when flying in these environments.[/note]
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Ensure the flight environment has good visibility. The Skydio app will warn you of low-light conditions and may suggest you land if there isn’t enough light to fly safely.
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| Use caution when flying in areas with bright, reflective snow. Reflective surfaces impair visual navigation. |
| Weather |
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Do not fly in snow-covered environments that lack textures and shadows. Fully white conditions may impair visual navigation.
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Do not fly in fog or precipitation such as rain and snow.
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Do not fly in extremely cold temperatures below 14°F (-10°C).
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Avoid windy weather conditions, or gusts above 23 mph (37 km/h).
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Use caution when flying above areas covered with smooth snow wider than 30 ft (9 m).
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Battery maintenance
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When flying in temperatures below 32°F (0°C) ensure your batteries are pre-warmed to 50°F (10°C) prior to launch.
[tip] Carrying batteries against your body can help keep them warm when flying in cold environments. [/tip]
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| Do not use your batteries if they are below 32°F (0°C), as they will not function properly below that temperature. |
| If your batteries do get cold, warm batteries in a room-temperature environment before flying. DO NOT use higher heat (hairdryer, etc.) to accelerate heating. |
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Do not charge your batteries when the ambient temperature is below 14°F (-10°C).
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Store batteries at room temperature 71°F - 82°F (22°C - 28°C).
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Store batteries in a cool, dry area with less than 75% relative humidity.
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Explore More
Access Skydio 2/2+ Manuals and Guides
How to use the Scout skill on Skydio X2
Getting started Skydio X2
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