Configure weather conditions and atmospheric behavior on your DayZ server using cfgweather.xml. Control overcast, fog, rain, wind, snowfall, and storm systems.
The cfgweather.xml file controls all weather systems in DayZ, including atmospheric conditions, precipitation, wind patterns, and storm behavior. Each weather element can be configured with current states, limits, time constraints, and change parameters to create realistic and dynamic weather patterns.
The weather system uses a state-based approach where each element (overcast, fog, rain, etc.) has current conditions that transition over time within defined limits.
Controls whether to load weather from storage or use the configuration values. Set to 0 to use config values, 1 to load from storage.
Controls whether this weather configuration is active. Set to 1 to enable, 0 to disable weather system.
Each weather element (overcast, fog, rain, windMagnitude, windDirection, snowfall) follows the same structure with these sub-elements:
Current state with actual value, time elapsed, and duration
Minimum and maximum values the element can reach
Time constraints for transitions between states
Maximum amount the value can change in one transition
Controls cloud coverage and sky conditions. Overcast affects visibility, lighting, and is a prerequisite for rain and storms.
0.0 = Clear sky
0.5 = Partly cloudy
1.0 = Completely overcast
Sunny: 0.0-0.3
Cloudy: 0.5-0.9
Stormy: 0.8-1.0
Controls fog density and visibility. Fog significantly affects player visibility and creates atmospheric conditions.
0.0 = No fog
0.5 = Moderate fog
1.0 = Very dense fog
Higher values dramatically reduce visibility. Use sparingly to avoid frustrating gameplay.
Controls precipitation intensity. Rain requires overcast conditions and includes threshold settings for when rain can occur.
0.0 = No rain
0.5 = Moderate rain
1.0 = Heavy rain
min/max: Overcast range for rain
end: Time to stop if outside range
Rain requires overcast values within the threshold range to occur.
Wind is configured through two separate elements: windMagnitude (speed) and windDirection (angle). This allows for realistic wind patterns.
0.0-20.0 m/s
Represents wind speed in meters per second
Light: 2-6 m/s
Moderate: 8-12 m/s
Strong: 15-20 m/s
-3.14 to 3.14 radians
Represents wind direction angle
0.0: North
1.57: East
3.14/-3.14: South
-1.57: West
Controls snow precipitation. Similar to rain but with different visual effects. Includes threshold settings for overcast dependency.
Snowfall should typically remain at 0.0 for Chernarus and other temperate maps. It's primarily intended for winter/arctic maps.
0.0 = No snow
0.5 = Moderate snow
1.0 = Heavy snow
Similar to rain, snowfall requires specific overcast conditions to occur.
Controls lightning storm behavior. Storms add dramatic weather effects with lightning strikes and thunder.
Lightning frequency (0.0-1.0)
0.0: No lightning
1.0: Frequent lightning
Overcast level required for storms (0.0-1.0)
Higher values = storms only in heavy overcast
Time between lightning strikes (seconds)
Lower values = more frequent strikes
Complete example showing all weather elements configured for a temperate climate with dynamic weather patterns:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" ?>
<weather reset="0" enable="1">
<overcast>
<current actual="0.45" time="120" duration="240" />
<limits min="0.0" max="1.0" />
<timelimits min="600" max="900" />
<changelimits min="0.0" max="1.0" />
</overcast>
<fog>
<current actual="0.05" time="120" duration="240" />
<limits min="0.02" max="0.08" />
<timelimits min="900" max="900" />
<changelimits min="0.0" max="1.0" />
</fog>
<rain>
<current actual="0.0" time="60" duration="120" />
<limits min="0.0" max="1.0" />
<timelimits min="60" max="120" />
<changelimits min="0.0" max="1.0" />
<thresholds min="0.6" max="1.0" end="60" />
</rain>
<windMagnitude>
<current actual="8.0" time="120" duration="240" />
<limits min="0.0" max="20.0" />
<timelimits min="120" max="240" />
<changelimits min="0.0" max="20.0" />
</windMagnitude>
<windDirection>
<current actual="0.0" time="120" duration="240" />
<limits min="-3.14" max="3.14" />
<timelimits min="60" max="120" />
<changelimits min="-1.0" max="1.0" />
</windDirection>
<snowfall>
<current actual="0.0" time="0" duration="32768" />
<limits min="0.0" max="0.0" />
<timelimits min="300" max="3600" />
<changelimits min="0.0" max="0.0" />
<thresholds min="1.0" max="1.0" end="120" />
</snowfall>
<storm density="1.0" threshold="0.9" timeout="45"/>
</weather>Common weather configuration patterns for different atmospheric conditions: