Weather System
Weather is a game mechanic of Subnautica: Below Zero that will affect temperature and may affect power output for Solar Panels. Each weather type has a different effect in gameplay.
Available Weather Types
These weather types currently occur naturally.
Blizzard
Extremely heavy snowfall that restricts the player's vision to several meters. Decreases temperature quicker.
Calm
Calm weather has no falling effects and the skies are partially cloudy. Has a chance to trigger an aurora borealis effect at night.
Electric Storm
In an electric storm, there is a partial layer of snowy fog that impairs vision. There are also frequent lightning strikes and thunder all around the player.
Hail Storm
Hail storms add a layer of fog similar to a snow storm. It also produces heavy snowfall that causes particles effects of ice hitting the ground and shattering. Decreases temperature quicker.
Heavy Fog
Heavy fog adds a layer of snowy fog to the world. It can only occur naturally in the Arctic Spires.
Light Fog
Light fog adds a weaker layer of snowy fog. It can only occur naturally in the Arctic Spires.
Light Snow
Light snow effect with little or no fog. No effect on gameplay. Has a chance to trigger an aurora borealis effect at night.
Snow Storm
In a snow storm, there is a layer of snowy fog that impairs vision.
Whiteout Blizzard
A whiteout blizzard shares a name with the blizzard but the player cannot see at all more than a foot away due to the extremely heavy layer of fog. Sound is also reduced to a "whiteout" sound.
Unavailable Weather Types
These weather types do not yet occur naturally, however they may be added in the future. Some may still be triggered through in-game commands.
Clear Skies
Clear skies is identical to the calm weather type, however it has been confirmed to have been cut.
Rain
Rainfall effect. May decrease temperature in the future, if re-implemented.
Scripted Weather Events
These weather events are only triggered at specific point[s] during the story, and may not be triggered through console commands.
Meteor Storm
The meteor storm is active at the beginning of the game. It features little fog and meteors raining down from the sky and colliding with the terrain. Meteors can damage or kill fauna that they land on. Though not part of the weather event specifically, a meteor strikes Vesper Station.
Protection & Monitoring
Players will be able to avoid the negative effects of weather by hiding in caves or in a Seabase. The effects of weather may also be nullified by going underwater.
Triggering Weather through Commands
There are multiple commands specifically related to the weather system.
- weather: toggles weather entirely.
- wind: toggles all wind effects.
- precipitation: toggles rain and snowfall effects.
- lightning: toggles lightning effects.
- forceweathernext: ends the current weather and starts the next predicted weather event.
- resetweather: re-rolls all predicted weather for the next 24 in-game hours.
- weatherevent [NAME]: sets the current weather to the designated type. Note that this disables the normal weather flow and the weather will not change by itself after using this command.
The weather event codes are as follows:
- blizzard
- calm
- clearskies
- electricstorm
- hailstorm
- heavyfog
- lightfog
- lightsnow
- rain
- snowstorm
- whiteoutblizzard
Trivia
- Weather was originally planned and worked on during the development of Subnautica such as rain for example, however it was scrapped after alterations to the skybox.
- Previously, weather was meant to be monitored using the Weather Station (and later with the Control Room), however it was later scrapped.
Gallery
Blizzard in the Glacial Basin
Blizzard at night
Light snow in the Glacial Basin
Lightning in the sky
Hail hitting the ground
Snow storm in the Glacial Basin
A sped up view showing various states of weather
Aurora Borealis dev video
Aurora Borealis dev video 2
Aurora Borealis dev video 3
Aurora Borealis dev video 4
