Change weather and stop rain on a DayZ PC server
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
Section titled “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
Section titled “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. |
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
Section titled “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.
Check script and mod ownership
Section titled “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.
Validate and observe the result
Section titled “Validate and observe the result”Parse the complete downloaded XML:
$weatherXml = [xml](Get-Content -LiteralPath './cfgweather.xml' -Raw)$weatherXml.weather | Format-ListCheck 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. A parsed XML file is not proof that the game loaded it.
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. A fog setting alone is not a diagnosis of an 800-metre visibility complaint.
Rollback consists of restoring the saved weather file and any related script changes while stopped, then restarting and observing the forecast. A recoverable backup remains useful, but deleting world persistence is not the first step in applying weather XML.