The cfgweather.xml file lets you fully customize weather conditions and atmospheric behavior on your DayZ server. Control overcast, fog, rain, wind, snowfall, and storm systems to create unique and immersive gameplay. Located in your mission folder, this file is essential for shaping the server’s environment and player experience.
The cfgweather.xml file controls all weather systems in DayZ, including atmospheric conditions, precipitation, wind patterns, and storm behavior. Weather has a major impact on visibility, survival, and immersion. Each weather element is state-based and transitions smoothly between values over time, allowing for realistic and dynamic weather patterns.
Weather elements (overcast, fog, rain, etc.) each have current states, limits, time constraints, and change parameters. By tuning these, you can create anything from static sunny days to highly dynamic, unpredictable climates.
reset: Set to 0 to use the config values below on every server restart (recommended for consistent weather). Set to 1 to load the last saved weather state from storage (for persistent, evolving weather).
enable: Set to 1 to activate the weather system. Set to 0 to disable all weather (not recommended for normal gameplay).
Each weather element (overcast, fog, rain, windMagnitude, windDirection, snowfall) follows the same structure with these sub-elements:
The current value, how long it’s been active, and how long it will last before transitioning.
The minimum and maximum values this element can reach (e.g., how dense fog can get).
How quickly or slowly the element can change (in seconds).
The maximum amount the value can change in a single transition.
Controls cloud coverage and sky conditions. Overcast affects visibility, lighting, and is a prerequisite for rain and storms. Higher overcast values make rain and storms more likely.
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 can create tense, atmospheric gameplay but too much can frustrate players. Use moderate values for realism without harming playability.
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. Rain increases survival difficulty and immersion, but excessive rain can frustrate players.
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). Wind affects sound, particle effects, and can influence gameplay in subtle ways.
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. Use snowfall only on winter or arctic maps—set to 0.0 for Chernarus and temperate maps.
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. Use sparingly for special events or to increase challenge.
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. Use this as a starting point and adjust values to fit your server’s theme and gameplay goals. Always test changes on a staging server before deploying to production.
<?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. Mix and match these presets to create your own dynamic weather system.
cfgweather.xml in your server's mission folder (e.g., mpmissions/yourmission/).