Change weather and stop rain on a DayZ PC server

By Niko Catarino

Updated 7 October 2026

Use the active mission’s cfgweather.xml to tune vanilla DayZ weather. Enable the file, decide whether weather should resume from saved state, then change one phenomenon and test a complete transition.

This procedure covers DayZ Standalone PC. A mission script or weather mod can also control the forecast, so record those before editing XML.

Find the active weather configuration

Read the configuration selected by the server’s -config argument and find its mission template. Stop the test server and download cfgweather.xml from that mission under mpmissions.

Save an untouched copy outside the live mission. If no file is present, compare your installed build with the matching map’s reference, such as Bohemia’s Chernarus weather file. This pinned file matches the stock Chernarus file tested on server build 1.29.163709. Keep map-specific fields you are not changing.

Weather configuration uses its own enable attribute. The enableCfgGameplayFile flag used for starter gear and building settings is not this XML file’s switch.

Separate enable from reset

Bohemia’s weather configuration reference defines both root attributes:

Attribute	Effect
enable="1"	Enables the XML weather configuration.
reset="1"	Starts weather from the configured conditions instead of loading saved weather.
reset="0"	Allows weather to load from storage.

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For a test where you want the edited initial conditions to apply after startup, change the existing root opening tag to:

<weather reset="1" enable="1">

Keep its existing closing </weather> tag. reset concerns weather state; it is not a player or world-persistence wipe. Leaving reset="1" also resets weather at subsequent starts. Choose that behavior on purpose before moving the change to production.

Enabling the file applies its other phenomenon sections too. Review the existing overcast, fog, wind, snowfall and storm values before restarting, even when your only edit is rain.

Stop rain while keeping the other weather rules

Inside the existing <rain> section, change the initial value and range. For example:

<current actual="0.0" time="30" duration="300" />
<limits min="0.0" max="0.0" />
<changelimits min="0.0" max="0.0" />

These replace the corresponding elements inside your existing rain section. Keep its other elements, such as timelimits and thresholds, and keep the rest of the file. Do not paste these three lines as a complete weather configuration.

The initial target is zero rain, with a 30-second transition and a minimum duration of 300 seconds. Bohemia’s weather API defines the forecast timing. The zero range and change bounds constrain subsequent rain values. These are test values, not a universal map preset. Start with rain alone so you can identify whether the file controls the result.

To request a clear-sky preset, review <overcast> as a separate change. To reduce fog, review <fog>. Their initial conditions, ranges and transition controls are separate from rain. Wind, snowfall and storm settings also need their own review. Do not set every duration or wind-direction field to zero as a blanket recipe.

Set cloud cover, fog and forecast timing

For a clear-weather test, set current actual, both limits and both changelimits to 0.0 in the existing <overcast> section. Apply the same change separately to <fog> if you want to test without that fog component. Keep positive transition times and observe each change before combining them.

For variable weather, use a range instead of fixing both limits to one value. These controls have different jobs:

Element	What you are changing
current actual	The first forecast target when the configured initial conditions apply.
current time	Seconds taken to approach that target.
current duration	The minimum duration for that forecast.
limits	The permitted values for the phenomenon. Cloud cover and fog use 0.0 to 1.0.
changelimits	How much the next forecast can change.
timelimits	The timing bounds, in seconds, for subsequent forecasts.

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Rain’s thresholds refer to cloud cover, not rain intensity. In the pinned Chernarus file, rain is allowed between overcast 0.6 and 1.0; end="60" gives it 60 seconds to stop after cloud cover leaves that range. See the forecast and rain-threshold API. A high rain limit alone cannot override an unmet cloud threshold.

Tune wind and lightning

The pinned Chernarus XML separates <windMagnitude> from <windDirection>. Magnitude uses metres per second; direction uses radians. Both have their own initial values, limits and forecast timing. Edit those existing sections rather than adding an older <wind> example beside them.

<storm> controls lightning:

Attribute	Meaning
density	Storm density from 0.0 to 1.0; zero disables thunderstorms.
threshold	Cloud cover must exceed this value before lightning can appear.
timeout	Minimum seconds between lightning strikes during a storm.

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To disable thunderstorms for a test, set density="0.0" on the existing storm element and retain its other attributes. These controls are documented in the weather API.

Keep terrain-specific snowfall rules. The Chernarus reference explicitly keeps snowfall at zero; it is not a snow preset for other maps. Test forecast changes with the map and weather mods your players actually use.

Check script and mod ownership

Bohemia documents three weather-control approaches: scripts, mission weather API calls and XML. Read init.c and the installed mod instructions for weather integrations. A mod or mission that applies forecasts can explain why a parsed XML file does not produce the expected in-game result.

Do not remove blocks from init.c without identifying their purpose. On a test copy, compare the behavior with the relevant weather integration disabled through its supported configuration. Keep the original file and change record for rollback.

A weather change also does not replace monthly temperature configuration or day and night settings. Test those separately if the symptom is cold or darkness rather than rain.

Install SkyZ for a different skybox

SkyZ - Skybox Overhaul, item 2536780687, replaces the sky’s appearance. Its authors are ruffaz and Kornflakes. Keep your weather XML and mission settings while installing it; use the rain and fog controls above when those are the conditions you want to change.

Use the normal client/server mod procedure, including the signing key supplied with your release. Joining players need the matching sky assets. Keep the original Workshop package and use a collection to distribute the mod list; the author prohibits repacking it into a server pack.

Check the author’s map list against your active terrain before installation. The description lists custom skies for Livonia and Namalsk and includes Deer Isle and Sakhal among its tested maps. Those are the author’s compatibility claims, not tests performed here. An unlisted terrain still needs its own check, even if it is based on Chernarus.

The author’s FAQ says SkyZ has no configuration controls and identifies other skybox replacements as a conflict. That FAQ was last edited in May 2024. Before combining packages, check the current release instructions and remove any competing sky replacement from your test mod list. Save the original list so you can restore it.

Join the test server and compare the same location and time with your previous sky. Check sunrise, night and changing cloud cover, then repeat after reconnecting. If textures look wrong, check the terrain, matching client files and other skybox mods before changing forecast values. Restore the earlier package list if the replacement fails. The author’s separate SkyZ - Fog Begone! package has its own setup; these steps don’t install or validate it.

Validate and observe the result

Parse the complete downloaded XML:

$weatherXml = [xml](Get-Content -LiteralPath './cfgweather.xml' -Raw)
$weatherXml.weather | Format-List

Check the root attributes and edited phenomenon values, then upload while the server is stopped. Start it and inspect logs for configuration errors.

Join and record weather at startup, after the configured transition and later in the forecast cycle. Walk through more than one location. Restart and repeat the check to confirm the intended saved-state behavior. Keep the map, build, active mission and mod list with the results.

If rain persists, check the live filename and mission, enable, saved-state behavior and script ownership before making more edits. XML can parse successfully even if the game never loads that file.

If a provider panel appears to undo your edit, compare the uploaded file with a fresh download after restart. Check whether the panel generates or replaces cfgweather.xml. A root attribute changing back to zero needs that file comparison and the logs; it does not identify the cause by itself.

If visibility still looks poor after fog changes, compare the same location and weather with another client. Check defaultVisibility and defaultObjectViewDistance in the active server configuration, along with the client’s terrain and object distances. Bohemia’s server configuration reference says lower client distances still apply. For an 800-metre visibility problem, check those distances as well as fog.

To roll back, restore the saved weather file and any related script changes while stopped, then restart and observe the forecast. Keep a recoverable backup; you don’t need to start by deleting world persistence to apply weather XML.

Source and verification scope

The vanilla field reference above was checked against the linked Bohemia XML and script API on 7 October 2026. The new cloud, fog, wind and storm examples have not been tested in game.

The SkyZ section used AI-assisted research and drafting. On 6 October 2026, we read its original description, the author’s FAQ and the latest ten of 18 change entries. The latest listed update is 29 July 2026. We haven’t inspected the current package or tested its client rendering, map compatibility or behavior alongside other weather mods.