How do I set overcast weather in FSX?

To set overcast weather in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, open World > Weather, select User-defined weather, choose Customize..., and edit a cloud layer. Set its coverage to Overcast (8/8), choose a cloud type, then set the base and top altitudes before accepting the changes.

Creating overcast weather step by step

User-defined weather is the best option when you need a specific cloud ceiling rather than an approximate weather theme. The procedure is the same in the boxed and Steam editions of FSX.

1. Open the Weather window. During a flight, select World > Weather. Press Alt first if the full-screen menu bar is hidden.
2. Select User-defined weather. This prevents a preset theme from controlling the cloud layers.
3. Open the advanced editor. Choose Customize..., then open the Clouds tab.
4. Select or add a cloud layer. Make sure you are editing the intended low or middle layer rather than an unrelated high cloud layer.
5. Set coverage to Overcast. Depending on the displayed control, this may appear as Overcast or 8/8. Eight oktas means the entire sky is reported as covered.
6. Choose the cloud type. Use a stratus-type layer for a widespread, relatively flat deck or cumulus for a more textured, convective appearance.
7. Set the cloud base and top. The top must be higher than the base. If the editor is displaying altitude above mean sea level, add the aerodrome elevation when reproducing an above-ground ceiling.
8. Apply the changes. Confirm each weather window and return to the flight.

For example, OVC010 in a METAR means an overcast base 1,000 feet above the reporting aerodrome. At a field 500 feet above mean sea level, an editor using MSL heights would need a base near 1,500 feet.

Which cloud type should I use for overcast?

Stratus is usually the right choice for a low, uniform overcast ceiling, while cumulus creates a rougher and less continuous-looking deck.

• Stratus-type cloud: best for widespread low cloud, poor visibility and instrument conditions.
• Cumulus: suitable for showery or unstable weather, but its individual cloud shapes may leave visible openings even at 8/8 coverage.
• High or thin cloud: useful for an upper layer, but it will not create a low operational ceiling.

Overcast describes the amount of sky covered, not the cloud type. For a more believable frontal system, our advice on building realistic layered weather in FSX explains how to combine cloud layers without making every layer excessively dense.

Why does FSX overcast still have gaps?

FSX builds clouds from separate rendered sprites, so an 8/8 layer is not always a completely watertight blanket when viewed from every angle. Coverage controls the weather state; display density controls how fully the simulator draws it.

• Open the Display settings and select the Weather tab.
• Use Detailed clouds rather than simple clouds.
• Increase Cloud coverage density, using Maximum when a solid deck matters more than frame rate.
• Raise cloud draw distance if the deck ends too close to the aircraft. Draw distance affects the visible horizon more than local gaps.
• Check that the overcast layer is thick enough and that you did not apply 8/8 coverage only to a high cirrus layer.

Dense clouds and a long draw distance can reduce performance. If that happens, reduce draw distance before lowering coverage density, then use our FSX performance adjustments to recover frame rate without removing the overcast layer.

How do I keep overcast for the whole flight?

FSX weather is station-based, so editing only the departure station can allow clearer conditions to appear farther along the route.

• Use the editor's All weather stations option if it is available.
• Otherwise, apply comparable cloud layers to weather stations along the route so FSX does not interpolate towards clear conditions.
• Set the weather change rate to No change when you want the conditions to remain fixed.
• Leave User-defined weather selected; loading real-world weather or another theme will replace the custom layer.

If the aim is to reproduce actual reported overcast rather than create a fixed scenario, use a compatible weather source instead. Our guide to real-world weather in FSX covers the available setup and the limitations of the simulator's original built-in service.