Read this Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch (ACNH) guide on differences when the season, weather, & time of day change. Includes weather forecast, real life weather, & patterns!!!
Weather Info
Season Info
Time Info
How And When Weather Changes
Weather Changes Every Hour
Every hour, the game determines whether or not a weather change will take place. If it does, it happens gradually.
Clear Skies Are Common During Events
It seems there's a higher chance to have clear and sunny weather on days with special events. If you're looking for another type of weather, try to avoid these days.
Not Concurrent With Real Life Weather
Perhaps this goes without saying, but New Horizons does not sync up its weather with the real weather in your area! If you want a specific type of weather, you'll have to either wait OR rely on time traveling.
Check Out How To Time Travel HereTypes Of Weather
Weather Affects Many Aspects Of The Game
Weather will have several different affects on your gameplay. For example, when it's raining you won't need to water your plants to make hybrids, and you'll be able to catch the rare fish Coelacanth only while it's raining or snowing.
List Of Weather Types
| Weather | Characteristics |
|---|---|
 Clear | ・No clouds at all |
 Sunny | ・Some clouds in the sky |
 Cloudy | ・The sky is covered in clouds |
 Rainclouds | ・State of the sky before and after rainfall |
 Rainy | ・Raining lightly ・Same effect as watering a plant |
 Heavy Rain | ・Raining hard |
 Snowing | 【North】12/11~2/24 【South】6/11~8/25 【Time】Anytime Light snow ▶︎Can get Snowflakes |
 Heavy Snow | 【North】12/11~2/24 【South】6/11~8/25 【Time】Anytime Snowing heavily ▶︎Can get Snowflakes |
Special Weather Types & Conditions
List Of Special Weather
| Weather | Characteristics/Time |
|---|---|
 Thin Clouds | 【North】3/1~5/31 【South】9/1~11/31 【Time】6am 〜 4am (next day) |
| Cirrocumulus Cloud | 【North】9/16~11/30 【South】3/16~5/31 【Time】6am 〜 4am (next day) |
| Aurora Borealis/Australis | 【North】12/11~2/24 【South】6/11~8/24 【Time】6pm 〜 4am (next day) |
| Thunder | Happens during heavy rain |
| Fog | 【North】9/21~2/24 【South】3/21~8/24 【Time】5am 〜 9am |
| Fog (On Water) | 【North】9/21~3/31 【South】3/21~9/30 【Time】5am 〜 9am |
| Cherry Blossom "Blizzard" | 【North】4/1~4/10 【South】10/1~10/10 【Time】Anytime ▶︎ More On Cherry Blossoms Here |
| Cirrus Clouds | 【North】9/16~11/30 【South】3/16~5/31 【Time】6am 〜 4am (next day) |
| Rainbow/Double Rainbow | 【North】2/25~11/25 【South】8/25~5/25 【Time】7am 〜 5pm Have a 50% chance of turning into a Double Rainbow (all the way) |
 Cumulonimbus Clouds | 【North】7/21~9/15 【South】1/21~3/15 【Time】9am 〜 9pm |
| Wavy Cloud | 【North】12/1~2/29 【South】6/1~8/31 【Time】6am 〜 6pm |
| Vapor Trail | During online or local play, when another player flies to your island their plane leaves behind these trails. |
| Maple Leaf "Blizzard" | 【North】11/16~11/25 【South】5/16~5/25 【Time】Anytime ▶︎More On Maple Leaves Here |
| Meteor Shower | 【North】Anytime 【South】Anytime 【Time】7pm 〜 4am Isabelle should let you know it's happening during morning announcements ▶︎More On Meteor Showers Here |
The weather/cloud types listed above seem to occur under specific conditions and at specific times. Meteor Showers are clearly connected to an in-game event, but the others are not.
Check The Weather Forecast
See Upcoming Weather On Your TV
At certain times of the day, a weather forecast program will air! Pay attention to this, as this will actually be the real weather of the following day. Also, this program will be on air for 14 minutes.
Weather Forecast Times
※ The Numbers in the white cells represent minutes. 6:15am, 11:45am, etc!!!
| Time Slot | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6am | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| 7am | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | - |
| 11am | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| 6pm | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 45 | - |
| 10pm | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
Weather Forecast Times
| Mon | 6:15am | 7:45am | 11:45am | 6:30pm | 10:45pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 6:15am | 7:45am | 11:45am | 6:30pm | 10:45pm |
| Wed | 6:15am | 7:45am | 11:45am | 6:30pm | 10:45pm |
| Thu | 6:15am | 7:45am | 11:45am | 6:30pm | 10:45pm |
| Fri | 6:15am | 7:45am | 11:45am | 6:30pm | 10:45pm |
| Sat | 6:15am | 7:45am | 11:45am | 6:45pm | 10:45pm |
| Sun | 6:15am | - | 11:45am | - | 10:45pm |
Changes Of Seasons
Trees & Grass Color Changes
The most noticable change you'll see when the season changes is the color of the trees and grass. They'll shift from flowering, to green, then brown, and white.
Hemisphere Seasons By Month Chart
| Season | North | South |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March, April, May | September, October, November |
| Summer | June, July, August | December, January, February |
| Fall | September, October, November | March, April, May |
| Winter | December, January, February | June, July, August |
Seasonal Events & Festivals
Each season will also bring about events and festivals. These include fishing tournaments, bug-catching contests, as well as even Easter egg hunting, Halloween Trick-or-Treating, and more!
Check Out The Event Calendar Here!Different Seasonal DIY Recipes
There are different DIY recipes that players can get per season. Every recipe provides unique seasonal furniture that can only be crafted by using materials gathered each season!
Check Out All Seasonal DIY Recipes List!Types Of Bugs & Fish
The season also changes the types of bugs and fish you can find on your island. If you're planning to collect and fill up your Museum, be sure to catch bugs & fish throughout every season!
Check Out Rare Bug & Fish Ranking List!Time Of Day Changes
Opening & Closing Of Shops
The most important change brought about by time of day is the opening and closing times of shops. These include Nook's Cranny, and the Tailor Shop.
Special Island Visitors
Some island visitors can only be encountered during a certain time of day. For example,the ghost character Wisp can be encountered only during the wee hours of the morning!
Check Out the Special Villagers List Here!Bug & Fish Spawn Times
Time of day also affects the type of bugs and fish you can catch on your island. Some bugs and fish will only show up at night or during a certain period of the day.
Related Articles
Animal Crossing New Horizons Switch - Recommended Articles
April Updates
| April Update Related Articles | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.10 Update | ||
| May Day | Museum Day | Wedding Season |
Essential Guides
| All Fish List | All Bug List |
| Sea Creatures List | Villager Tier List |
| All Villagers List | Mystery Island List |
| DIY Recipes List | DIY Materials List |
Must Reads For Beginners
| Beginner Guide & Tips | |
| Points of No Return | Beginning Questions |
| Best Island Layout | Best Tent Location |
