THE SOLUTION
There is a solution that I came across when talking to a salesperson at a major electronics store. He recommended spraying my dish with Pam or some other non-stick cooking spray.
The more I thought about it the more it made sense. Lost reception is due to raindrops sticking to the dish, which causes it to receive signals erratically. Making the dish non-stick seemed like a good idea.
A few days later, I noticed lightning in the distance. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try this out, so I climbed up a ladder and sprayed my satellite dish with Pam. The rain began almost as soon as I finished spraying the dish, so I ran inside to check out the signal.
DID IT WORK?
To my surprise, the signal was as good as a bright, sunny afternoon. To this date, I haven't lost reception in a storm, though I must clarify that my area hasn't had much rain since that initial storm.
I recommend spraying the dish every three months to keep everything non-stick.
ANOTHER SOLUTION
If a dish is mounted to the side of a house, you could mount a clear piece of fiberglass in front of the dish. The fiberglass would act as a shield for the dish. Water and other elements would not affect the dish's ability to receive a signal.
