Live weather not accurate? give this trick a try!

[utd4life12]

So I’ve noticed within MSFS that to get the most accurate weather, I need to fly roughly between 07:00z and 19:00z. The reason for this is that around 19:00z, MSFS appears to load in the weather model for the NEXT day. Meaning if it’s currently overcast, but forecast to be CAVOK the next day, then guess what? It’ll show CAVOK as soon as that new model is loaded in, meaning the weather for the current time appears innacurate.

I seem to have found a little workaround for this. To best demonstrate this, I’m using KDEN airport.

The current weather as I write this at KDEN is the following: KDEN 282053Z 35011G14KT 10SM SCT036 BKN055 BKN075 13/04 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP168 T01330039 56005

So it’s pretty cloudy. However note the current time 21:46z. Uh-oh, MSFS has already loaded in the weather model for the next day, which is forecast to be clear. I can confirm this by looking at both the live map here:

And also by loading in the sim and setting live weather:

The temps, pressure and wind are correct, however as suspected, clear skies.

Now, I seem to have found a work around for this. When you suspect this has happened and the model has loaded in for the next day, do the following steps:

• Close the sim
  -Set your PC time & date to 06:00z of the current day.
  -Load up the sim
  -Load back in your airport with clear skies
  -Change to live weather
• Now change the PC time back to current by clicking ‘set the time automatically’

You should now have accurate weather again.

Here is KDEN after I followed those steps.

The weather map looks accurate again:

And now in the sim:

Yep, much more like what I expected to see, clear skies gone and cloudy as expected!

Give this a go and see what you guys experience and if it works for you! Like I say usually between 07:00z to aorund 19:00z I don’t have to do this because the weather works as expected. It’s just once it gets to around that time and the weather model loads in for the next day, then I’ve been using this work around.

[utd4life12]

One important thing to note, if you do go back to the world map again let’s say to change airport, change your PC time back to 06:00z then follow the steps again load in clear skies, select live weather then click ‘set time automatically’ to switch back to current time

[utd4life12]

Here is another example: KMKC 282154Z 31004KT 1 3/4SM RA BR SCT007 BKN038 OVC060 18/18 A2977 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SE AND S SLP077 P0014 T01830178

Without my work around

With my workaround

[lVultUxl]

I recommend a look in this plugin:

https://unrealweather.blogspot.com/

Works really well.

[utd4life12]

KLVS 282153Z AUTO 11015KT 10SM FEW047 OVC060 08/02 A3007 RMK AO2 RAE36 SLP146 P0000 T00830022

without workaround

with workaround

[utd4life12]

@lVultUxl

I recommend a look in this plugin:

That plugin is solely metar based and therefore can sometimes be accurate, but a lot of the time it’s not. For example there are airports that when they have cloud above 5,000ft it isn’t reported. In these instances overcast at 6,000ft can get reported as CAVOK or NCD (No cloud detected), which would then show inaccurate weather in the sim, which is why I’m not a fan of purely metar-based weather.

[WearingTripod66]

Genius idea, and so far it seems to work. It’s accurately depicting T-Storms in northwestern Arkansas at the moment (257z 29APR)

[RelativeBell177]

Will give it a try! Thx!

[utd4life12]

@WearingTripod66

Genius idea, and so far it seems to work. It’s accurately depicting T-Storms in northwestern Arkansas at the moment (257z 29APR)

Awesome, glad it worked!

[SubtotalGuide81]

I simply want to fly with live weather, not waste time on tricks and workarounds.

What will it take for Asobo to finally start getting the basics working reliably?

[utd4life12]

@SubtotalGuide81

I simply want to fly with live weather, not waste time on tricks and workarounds.

Well yeah don’t we all, but until Asobo improves it from their end, the work around is there if you want to use it

[JailYard01]

Design choices that simultaneously (i) produce such a broken default experience, (ii) are so trivially worked around and (iii) remain unaddressed this far along are completely inexplicable.

[utd4life12]

Yeah I completely agree you’re preaching to the choir, it shouldn’t be up to users to find work around for something that should just work. Sadly as it stands currently though, we do.

[shoes519]

This is a really interesting find. Could also explain why Asobo has had trouble recreating weather bugs; they are very close to GMT!

[jmags0103]

Wow!!! Thanks for finding this workaround! Works great!!

[arniex78]

that’s exactly how it is - especially because the community has already pointed out what is “wrong”. and actually the solution would be simple - after huge initial enthusiasm about the weather - and I was a very big fan and defender of the MSFS - the “disillusionment” has also settled with me - especially because the performance became worse and the weather with each update “more inaccurate” - which unfortunately leads to the MSFS instead of every day, every third, fourth, or even once a week to start, very sad actually - because the actual solution would be quite simple !
I mean thanks for the workaround, really, but I can’t do “10 workarounds” every time to get something working in MSFS.

[moxiejeff]

Definitely appreciate the OP’s research – but having to manually change my PC clock just to get correct weather seems a bit unnecessary and too much. Shouldn’t be this challenging.

I’ll just use REX Weather when live weather doesn’t work in the sim as REX always pulls in the latest METAR reports.

[moxiejeff]

100% agree.

[HXArdito]

LOL, this is stupid but explains some things i encountered. Great find, will try for myself too

[WearingTripod66]

REX WF isn’t an option for the next few days - it’s down thru Sunday due to a major server upgrade.