Learn how to set and change weather in MSFS 2020 before take-off or in flight, including Live Weather, presets, custom settings and locked controls.
To set weather in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, open Flight Conditions on the World Map and choose Live Weather or a built-in preset before starting the flight. To change it while flying, open the top toolbar's Weather panel, select another preset, or edit cloud, wind, precipitation, temperature and pressure settings.
How to set weather before a flight
- Open the World Map and create or load your flight.
- Select Flight Conditions, normally shown near the upper-right area of the World Map.
- Check the multiplayer mode. Select All Players or turn multiplayer off if you want control over weather and time. Live Players requires live conditions and locks the corresponding controls.
- Choose the weather. Select Live Weather for downloaded real-world conditions, or choose a built-in preset such as clear, cloudy, rain or storm conditions.
- Customise the preset if required. Adjust cloud layers, precipitation, wind, temperature, pressure, humidity and snow coverage using the controls provided.
- Start the flight. The selected conditions will be loaded at your departure location.
Changing to another preset replaces your manual edits, so choose the closest base preset first and then adjust it. Weather and daylight can be controlled separately during an ordinary custom flight, but MSFS 2020 does not provide historical live weather simply by moving the date or clock backwards.
Which MSFS 2020 weather option should I choose?
| Option | Best used for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Live Weather | Flying in downloaded real-world conditions | Requires an online connection and cannot be edited layer by layer |
| Built-in preset | Training, screenshots and repeatable flights | Does not follow real-world conditions |
| Edited custom weather | Specific cloud bases, winds, visibility or storms | Every pilot in a multiplayer session may need to reproduce the settings locally |
For crosswind practice or a particular runway, use a preset and edit its wind layers rather than relying on Live Weather. Our explanation of wind layers, gusts and turbulence controls covers the settings that have the greatest effect on handling.
Pressure is not merely visual. After changing it, set the aircraft's altimeter to the appropriate value; our MSFS 2020 QNH instructions explain how and why.
How do I change weather while flying?
- Reveal the in-flight toolbar by moving the pointer to the top of the screen or opening the toolbar with your controller.
- Open Weather using the cloud-shaped toolbar button.
- Select a preset or switch to Live Weather if the flight mode permits it.
- Edit individual conditions after selecting a manual preset. Changes are applied to the active flight without returning to the World Map.
Live Weather and manual editing are mutually exclusive. To alter a cloud or wind layer, leave Live Weather and select a preset first. Cloud rendering may take a short time to rebuild after a large change.
Why is the Weather button missing or greyed out?
The Weather panel is usually unavailable because the flight type has locked environmental conditions, not because the simulator is broken.
- Live Players: This multiplayer mode locks the session to live weather and time. Return to the World Map and choose All Players or disable multiplayer.
- Activities and challenges: Bush trips, landing challenges, tutorials and some other activities use fixed conditions that cannot be changed.
- Hidden toolbar item: Open the toolbar's customisation controls and make the Weather item visible.
- Restricted flight: If the controls remain unavailable, return to the World Map and start a normal free flight with an editable preset.
Why is Live Weather not loading?
Live Weather needs MSFS 2020's online functionality, an active connection and access to the weather service. Check that the simulator is online, confirm online functionality is enabled in its data settings, and reload the flight after restoring the connection.
Downloaded conditions are blended from several weather sources, so they may not reproduce every airport report exactly. If the option loads but the clouds, wind or pressure are clearly wrong, follow our Live Weather troubleshooting checks.
Without an internet connection, select a built-in or custom preset instead. These manual conditions remain usable offline, although live data does not; the distinction is covered in our guide to using MSFS 2020 offline.