What weather condition might decrease range at microwave frequencies?

At microwave frequencies, radio wavelengths become exceptionally short—often just a few inches or fractions of an inch long. Because these wavelengths are roughly the same physical size as raindrops, snowflakes, and hailstones, precipitation can easily absorb or scatter the radio waves, significantly decreasing the signal's range. Lower frequency bands, like HF or VHF, have much longer wavelengths and generally pass right through rain or snow without noticeable attenuation. However, as you move into the higher UHF and microwave spectrum, weather starts playing a major role in signal propagation. Other weather factors like wind, barometric pressure, and cold temperatures do not directly absorb radio frequency energy in this manner, making precipitation the primary weather-related concern for microwave range reduction.