Does weather affect the spread of the coronavirus outside a building, in the open air? Not really, experts say. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus can be spread in any kind of weather. There is also no reason to believe that cold weather can kill it. The WHO says the virus is mainly spread between people. Rain and snow may help reduce the amount of the virus on chairs or other outside objects. But spread of the virus from surfaces is not believed to be a major contributor to the COVID-19 health crisis. Scientists say the real concern about cold weather is that lower temperatures are more likely to keep people indoors. They also are more likely to be in more crowded spaces, where the virus can spread more easily.