Weather Guide - How to Change & Symbols | Pokemon Sword Shield

Find out how to change the Weather in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Including weather icons, symbol chart, list of date with fixed weather, effect on wild Pokemon, and more!!!

How to Change Weather

Weather Cannot be Changed

The weather conditions present in the game, whether in the Wild Area or the other routes/cities, cannot be changed by a player. For the case of the Wild Area, it will change once a day!

Certain Dates have Fixed Weather

It has also been discovered by the YouTube Content Creator "Austin John Plays", that certain days in the calendar have been programmed to always have a certain weather for all areas on that specific date. By setting your Nintendo Switch's system calendar to that date, you can change the weather to any of your liking.

Fixed Weather Date Chart

Weather Icons & Types

All Weather Types

Intense Sun	Sunny	Overcast
Rainy	Thunder	Snow
Hail	Sandstorm	Fog

Today's Wild Area Weather (10/15)

Dappled Grove		Rolling Field
South Lake Miloch		North Lake Miloch
Giant's Seat		East Lake Axewell
West Lake Axewell		Axew’s Eye
Watchtower Ruins		Motostoke Riverbank
Bridge Field		Stony Wilderness Riverbank
Giant's Mirror		Hammerlocke Hills
Dusty Bowl		Giant's Cap
Lake of Outrage

Weather Changes Every Day

The weather at Wild Areas change every day at 0:00 sharp. You'll need to wait a whole day to pass if you're targeting certain weather types.

Check Weather By Pressing the + Button

Pressing the + button while on the map will show you the weather in each zone! Get accustomed to checking this often, as it changes in real time!

Same Weather For Every Device & Versions

The weather is the same for every device, among Sword and Shield, and even between different versions. You won't get conflicting weather when you play with friends!

Weather Type & Effects

Random Effects That Influence Gameplay

Weather affects Pokemon with regards to how they move & how they interact with the environment. Weather changes can be manipulated with specific Pokemon moves, or changes automatically in wild area.

Certain Weather Locked Behind Game Progression

Hail, Thunder and Fogs are unique weather which are only unlocked as you progress through the game. These weather will not appear during early game, until you progress to acquire a certain number of Gym Badges or become the Champion.

Each Pokemon Type Has Preferred Weather

Each Pokemon type has its own favored or preferred weather type which will greatly benefit them if they are in battle under that weather type. This is based mainly on the Pokemon's natural preference; water Pokemon love the rain, Ice Pokemon like Snow, etc!

Favored Types Appear More Often

In the Wild Area, if a certain weather is active, then the Pokemon that favor it will appear more often. Use this to target certain types of Pokemon to catch or fight.

Outside Weather May Not Affect Raids

Raids and the Pokemon in them are sometimes unaffected by outside weather. Some Pokemons may appear in raids even if the weather is different from their stated conditions.

Increased Damage Under Favored Weather

Pokemon fighting in their favored weather will deal more damage in battle. Some Pokemon have the skills to change the weather in battle, but most will have to rely on the random weather in the Wild Area to reap these benefits.

Happier When In Pokemon Camp

If you set up a Pokemon camp & the preferred weather occurs, the Pokemon will be happier and more active.

Favored Weather Chart By Pokemon Type

Pokemon Type	Favored Weather
	Sunny
	Rain, Thunder
	Clear
	Rain
	Clear
	Rain, Thunder
	Clear
	Fog
	Rain, Thunder
	Fog
	Snow, Hail
	Snow, Hail
	Sunny, Sandstorm
	Overcast
	Fog, 8pm~6am In-game
	Sunny, Sandstorm
	Overcast
	Overcast

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