Smoking a Turkey in Freezing Amarillo Temps? Read This First

Thanksgiving is right around the corner here in Amarillo, and that means a lot of smokers will be rolling as many will look to smoke their turkey for the holiday. However, we may be looking at a bit of an issue on Thanksgiving Day.

The weather forecast in Amarillo isn't exactly going to be prime conditions for smoking that bird, as the forecast is calling for a high of 44 degrees, with the possibility of temperatures being below freezing when you go to fire up the smoker. So, will you still be able to smoke that turkey? Of course, but there are some tips you'll want to use to make sure you do it right.

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Cold Weather Prep

First things first, you'll want to position the smoker in an area that is protected from any wind. Easier said than done in Amarillo, but do your best. Once you've found that spot, give your smoker extra time to preheat. You'll lose that heat faster when it's cold, so give it time to reach that penultimate temp.

If you have one, take a fire-resistant blanket or a smoker jacket and place it on the smoker to trap the heat in so you don't have to work so hard to keep the temperature up.

Managing Your Temperature

This is going to be key as you cook in these conditions. There are several things you'll want to be doing and paying attention to here. First and foremost, make sure you're using a meat thermometer. If you have a remote thermometer or a digital one, you can leave it in the turkey and not have to open the lid; that's ideal. You want to keep the lid closed as much as possible.

Your vents may need to be adjusted a bit from their usual spots so the cold air doesn't sneak in or a gust of wind attacks your heat. Think about closing them a bit more than usual in order to account for this, but not TOO much. You don't want to smother the heat.

Make sure you allow yourself more time for the meat to cook. It will undoubtedly cook slower than usual, so either plan on getting up earlier than usual or plan on a bit of a later dinner. Also, don't be afraid to finish the bird in the oven if needed.

Keep Moisture Levels Up

This is a big one, because that cold air is going to be drier, which means your turkey will be as well, so you need to make sure you are maintaining moisture in the smoker.

A couple of things you can do are either place a water pan inside the smoker to create some humidity, or you can spritz the bird periodically with water, apple juice, or vinegar to make sure it doesn't dry out.