Flight simulator weather works offline with presets and manual settings. Learn what needs internet, which sims support it and why Live Weather disappears.
Yes. Flight simulators can use preset, manually configured and scripted weather without an internet connection because those systems run locally. What usually stops offline is freshly downloaded real-world or live weather. Previously cached conditions may remain briefly in some simulators, but they should not be treated as a reliable offline weather source.
Which weather modes work without internet?
Preset, custom and mission weather normally work offline; only weather that needs fresh data from an external provider requires a connection.
| Weather mode | Works offline? | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Preset or theme | Yes | Locally generated clouds, wind, visibility, precipitation and atmospheric conditions. |
| Manual or custom weather | Yes | You enter the conditions yourself using the simulator's weather controls. |
| Mission or scripted weather | Usually | Weather stored with a mission or scenario can develop according to its local script. |
| Saved weather snapshot | Sometimes | It works only if the simulator or add-on can reopen the saved data locally. |
| Live or real-world weather | No fresh updates | The last download may freeze, disappear or be replaced by default conditions. |
Live weather is not calculated solely from the aircraft's location. The simulator first downloads observations or model data and then converts them into clouds, winds, pressure, temperature and precipitation. Our explanation of how real-world weather data becomes simulated conditions covers that process in more detail.
How does offline weather differ by simulator?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, X-Plane 12, FSX and Prepar3D all provide local weather options, but their wider online requirements differ.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020: Presets and custom conditions work without Live Weather. The simulator and required local content must already be prepared for offline use; our MSFS 2020 offline setup guide explains the separate account, content and connectivity considerations.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Its stronger dependence on streamed services means that having a local weather preset does not guarantee the complete simulator will operate normally after a disconnect.
- X-Plane 12: Manual weather remains available offline, while downloading a new real-weather set requires internet access. See the weather and content options available offline in X-Plane 12.
- FSX and Prepar3D: Built-in themes and user-defined conditions are generated locally. A third-party weather engine normally needs a connection for fresh real-world data, although some products can reopen previously saved files.
An offline weather system does not necessarily make the entire simulator offline-capable. Account authentication, licence checks, streamed scenery, multiplayer services and first-time installation can impose their own connection requirements.
How do I recreate real weather while offline?
Record the observations you need before disconnecting, then reproduce them with the simulator's custom weather controls.
- Collect the source conditions. Save the METARs for your departure, destination and alternates, plus winds aloft if they matter to the flight.
- Select custom weather. Do not leave Live Weather selected, and stop any weather injector that would otherwise overwrite the manual settings.
- Enter the surface values. Set wind, visibility, pressure and temperature. Aviation wind reports describe the direction the wind comes from, not the direction it travels towards.
- Build the cloud layers. Add cloud bases, coverage and precipitation as closely as the simulator permits. A METAR is a local observation, so it cannot describe every cloud or weather transition along a long route.
- Save and verify the setup. Save a reusable preset where supported, load the flight and check the simulator's ATIS or weather display before departure.
Offline ATIS and simulator-controlled ATC should reflect the locally generated weather, not a later report from the real airport. Pressure, runway and wind discrepancies are expected if you compare an offline preset with live aviation data.
Why does weather disappear after disconnecting?
Weather usually disappears because Live Weather remains selected or an add-on is still controlling the atmosphere.
- Live mode is still active: Change explicitly to a preset or custom mode instead of waiting for the simulator to fall back automatically.
- The last download has frozen: Cached weather is stale data, not continuing live coverage. Reloading the flight may remove it completely.
- A weather injector owns the settings: Disable the injector before applying manual conditions; otherwise it may clear or replace them.
- Only online services have failed: A simulator can continue running while Live Weather, multiplayer and streamed data vanish independently.
Does weather radar work without internet?
Yes—weather radar can work offline when it reads precipitation generated by the simulator. A blank display may instead mean the preset contains no radar-detectable precipitation, the gain or tilt is unsuitable, or that particular aircraft lacks a fully simulated radar; our guide to simulated weather-radar returns explains those distinctions.