In the last couple of weeks, it has been shocking how FlightAware accuracy has dropped. All summer, we could watch planes and find them immediately…right now I’m seeing almost none of the ones flying over my head on the app. What factors wold lead to this occurring?
Our ADS-B box is on it’s way, so I’m excited about having greater (??!) control over what I can see. 
A hint of a location may help. Since you stated “all Summer” I will assume that you are in the Northern Hemisphere.
I have seen traffic drop off by about 400 aircraft per day for the last two days due to the rain (in NYC).
Of course, sorry. Left out the obvious. I’m in Saskatchewan Canada.
I remember you now. You’re the school teacher that just received approval for a flight feeder.
(Please ensure that if the antenna is outside, that you seal the connection correctly inside and out. There was a post early this year regarding a person in Washington state (or California) that had water get into the connector and freeze. It caused some reception problems).
Canada is a big place with a huge variation in weather. I suspect that the winds have changed(upper level winds) and that they could be routing traffic differently to cater for the change in conditions. A 50-100kt upper level wind can have a significant affect on an aircraft, even one traveling at 600kt.
Do you have an example of a flight that you think wasn’t tracked correctly?
Jon, I am not a teacher, but yes, school staff. Thanks for the tips!
OBJ, it’s that most flights aren’t even ON the app. Nothing shows up. I will open the app when a plane goes over and it shows empty skies. This has happened about 90% of the time the last week or so.
Where in Saskatchewan? My brother is in Saskatoon and doesn’t know whether he would like to do this sort of thing. If you’re also in Saskatoon, maybe he could meet with you to help out and also see what sort of effort it would take for him to get involved.
ExC, we are north of Saskatoon. But our unit hasn’t arrived yet, so hopefully we can get it rolling before the snow flies.
My mom, in Biggar, has been reporting frost several times already. Seems like it gets color in Saskatoon and even more so north of Saskatoon. Are you worried about the snow more than the cold?
That certainly seems odd. Based on your location, I suspect that most of the flights that you’re actually seeing overhead, if they’re transmitting positions, are being reported to Flightaware from my system here in Saskatoon. While my distance reception has certainly dropped over the summer, it’s still pretty steady at 400-450kms each day. This past week has seen improvement in both the range and the number of aircraft reported. For lack of a better explanation, I attribute the change to the change in seasons.
Keep in mind that we DO get a LOT of Air Canada flights crossing this space, and by far, the majority of them do not transmit their positions. There has also been an increase in military training flights, which I believe are filtered out.
yxespotter
ExC, sorry- I disappeared there for a bit. Life got a little hectic.
Our unit is finally mounted after hat ridiculous dump of snow and it’s been fun to watch my numbers rise exponentially.
I’m worried about the cold more than the snow. Love the snow, but -40C I could live without. 
Makes the summer sweeter, I guess.