Difference between revisions of "Weather"

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{{Feature}}
 
 
[[File:Snowy.jpg|140px|thumb|Snow falling slowly in ''Wild World'']]
 
[[File:Snowy.jpg|140px|thumb|Snow falling slowly in ''Wild World'']]
'''Weather''' plays a major part in the {{SER}} series, changing daily and reflecting the seasons. Notable weather includes winter snows, late summer rainstorms and the clear skies of early summer. Weather is mentioned by villagers, influences the [[plants|flora]] and fauna in the [[player]]'s town, and, most importantly, reflects the seasons and the time of year, greatly enhancing gameplay. In the original {{PG}}, the layout of the game ensures that the sky is only visible at one occasion, on the [[train]]- it is always cloudy. This means that the paragraphs about cloud coverage only apply to {{WW}} and {{CF}}.
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'''Weather''' plays a major part in the {{SER}}, changing daily and reflecting the seasons. Notable weather changes include winter snowstorms, late summer rainstorms and the clear skies of early summer. Weather is mentioned by villagers, influenced by the [[plants|flora]] and fauna in the [[player]]'s town, and, most importantly, reflected by the seasons and the time of year, greatly enhancing gameplay. In the original {{PG}}, the layout of the game ensured that the sky was only visible at one occasion, on the [[train]]- it was always cloudy. This means that the paragraphs about cloud coverage only apply to {{WW}}, {{CF}} and {{NL}}.
  
 
Weather consists of two main features- precipitation and cloud coverage. These aspects are present constantly, whilst other, more unusual features add to the variation of the game.
 
Weather consists of two main features- precipitation and cloud coverage. These aspects are present constantly, whilst other, more unusual features add to the variation of the game.
  
 
==Cloud Coverage==
 
==Cloud Coverage==
[[image:day.jpg|left|200px|thumb|The sky as it changes throughout the day, from 12:00pm to 2:00am.]]  
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[[image:day.jpg|left|200px|thumb|The sky as it changes throughout the day, from 6:00am to 4:00am.]]  
 
[[Image:Cloud Cover.jpg|140px|thumb|The six cloud stages. Please note that these clouds are from ''City Folk'']]
 
[[Image:Cloud Cover.jpg|140px|thumb|The six cloud stages. Please note that these clouds are from ''City Folk'']]
 
[[Image:Night.jpg|140px|thumb|Clouds in ''Wild World'' have a more uniform shape]]
 
[[Image:Night.jpg|140px|thumb|Clouds in ''Wild World'' have a more uniform shape]]
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Clouds always travel from the north of the town towards the sea, somewhat contradicting the fluttering of the town flag and the floating pattern of balloons. Clouds appear white in the day, unless rain bearing, upon which they are grey. Clouds at night are a darker shade of grey. Cloud coverage gives an indication as to what the weather will be like in the coming hours. Dark, thick clouds usually signify rain, whereas light cloud usually means that the skies will be clear later on.  
 
Clouds always travel from the north of the town towards the sea, somewhat contradicting the fluttering of the town flag and the floating pattern of balloons. Clouds appear white in the day, unless rain bearing, upon which they are grey. Clouds at night are a darker shade of grey. Cloud coverage gives an indication as to what the weather will be like in the coming hours. Dark, thick clouds usually signify rain, whereas light cloud usually means that the skies will be clear later on.  
  
Clouds in ''[[Animal Crossing: Wild World|Wild World]]'' consist entirely of oval-shapes, and are bright white. They can be viewed on the upper screen of the [[Nintendo DS]]. Clouds in ''[[Animal Crossing: City Folk|City Folk]]'' are less regular in shape and colour, and so appear more varied. They can be veiwed on the horizon or by pressing the 'up' button on the [[Wii]] remote. This rolls the screen up so that the sky dominates the view.
+
Clouds in {{WW|short}} consist entirely of oval-shapes, and are bright white. They can be viewed on the upper screen of the [[Nintendo DS]]. Clouds in {{CF|short}} are less regular in shape and color, and so appear more varied. They can be viewed on the horizon or by pressing the 'up' button on the [[Wii]] remote. This rolls the screen up so that the sky dominates the view.
  
There are six varieties of cloud coverage, which affect various, minor aspects of gameplay. For example, the brightness of a room, whether lights are on or not, and the comments of villagers. Here is a list of the six cloud densities, and a brief description.
+
There are six varieties of cloud coverage, which affect various, minor aspects of gameplay. For example, the brightness of a room, whether lights are on or not, and the comments of villagers. Here is a list and brief description of the six cloud densities.  
  
 
*'''Clear''': No clouds in the sky. The sky appears bright blue, or at night, full of stars.
 
*'''Clear''': No clouds in the sky. The sky appears bright blue, or at night, full of stars.
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*'''Wisp''': Similar to clear, but with faint, infrequent specks of white cloud trailing across the sky.
 
*'''Wisp''': Similar to clear, but with faint, infrequent specks of white cloud trailing across the sky.
  
*'''Light''': Noticable clouds in the sky, dispersed but still frequent. Clouds white.
+
*'''Light''': Noticeable clouds in the sky, dispersed but still frequent.  
  
*'''Moderate''': Substantial cloud cover, lowered level of brightness.[[File:Animal_Crossing_wikia_Pictures_058.jpg|thumb|Clouds while it's raining in city folk]]
+
*'''Moderate''': Substantial cloud cover, lowered level of brightness.
  
*'''Dense''': Packed cloud with gaps in coverage. Low level of brightness and lowered visibility. If rain or snow bearing, clouds are steel grey.
+
*'''Dense''': Packed clouds with gaps in coverage. Low level of brightness and lowered visibility.
  
*'''Complete''': Heavy and steel grey with only small breaks in cloud. Always bearing rain or snow. Low visibility, horizon appears dull and foggy.
+
*'''Complete (1)''': Heavy and steel grey with only small breaks in cloud. Always bearing rain. Low visibility, horizon appears dull and foggy.
<br>
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
  
 +
*'''Complete (2)''': During a thunderstorm, or when snow is falling, the clouds will have even less breaks in them. Low visibility, horizon appears dull and foggy.
 +
{{clear}}
 
==Precipitation==
 
==Precipitation==
[[Image:Snowy Day.jpg|325px|thumb|A snow-coated town. Note the dense, grey cloud in the sky]]
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[[Image:Snowy Day.jpg|300px|thumb|A snow-coated town. Note the dense, grey cloud in the sky]]
'''Precipitation''' comes in two forms in ''Animal Crossing''; '''rain''' or '''snow'''. Snow only falls in the winter months, with rain occuring during the rest of the year, though especially during spring and the late summer rainy season. Precipitation can change from hour to hour, but will often last for much of the day, easing off as the day progresses.
+
'''Precipitation''' comes in two forms in ''Animal Crossing''; '''rain''' or '''snow'''. Snow falls only in the winter months, with rain occurring during the rest of the year, though especially during spring and the late summer rainy season. Precipitation can change from hour to hour, but will often last for much of the day, easing off as the day progresses.
  
 
==='''Snow'''===
 
==='''Snow'''===
Snow falls from mid November till early February, settling in early December, with complete coverage by the 11<sup>th</sup> December. Settled snow covers all grassy areas, buildings and trees. Snowballs appear round town every day in winter, and can be rolled into [[snowmen]]. When snowing, town music varies slightly, with sleigh bell sounds integrated into each tune. Snow hydrates wilted flowers without the need of a watering can. Villagers who are outside during winter may talk about the abundance of snow or the cold.
+
Snow falls from mid November until early February, settling in early December, with complete coverage by the 11<sup>th</sup> of December (10th in {{PG}}). Settled snow covers all grassy areas, buildings and trees. Snowballs appear around town every day in winter, and can be rolled into [[snowmen]]. When snowing, town music varies slightly, with sleigh bell sounds integrated into each tune. In {{NL}}, [[snowflake]]s can also be found flying around. Snow hydrates wilted flowers without the need of a watering can. Villagers who are outside during winter may talk about the abundance of snow or the cold.
 +
 
 +
On the 10th of December, heavy snowfall can be sighted, leading to snow sticking to the ground the next day. Due to a bug in {{NL}}, on certain calendar patterns where the 10th falls on a Saturday, it will not snow due to it conflicting with the fishing tournament.
  
 
==='''Rain'''===
 
==='''Rain'''===
Rain falls throughout the year, in all four seasons. Rain, like snow, waters wilted plants without the need for a [[Watering Can|watering can]]. Rain is reflected in the town's music with a light ringing noise, but in ''Animal Crossing'', only one tune plays during rainy weather, no matter the hour. Villagers who are outside when rain is falling carry umbrellas and might also comment on the weather. After a rainy day, it is common to find [[gyroid (furniture)|gyroids]] around the player's town.
+
[[File:Animal Crossing wikia Pictures 084.jpg|300px|thumb|Note the dark grey clouds. This may produce rainfall]]
 +
Rain falls throughout the year, in all four seasons. Rain, like snow, waters wilted plants without the need for a [[Watering Can|watering can]]. Rain is reflected in the town's music with a light ringing noise, in ''Animal Crossing '', only one tune plays during rainy weather, no matter the hour. Villagers who are outside when rain is falling carry umbrellas and might also comment on the weather. After a rainy day, it is common to find [[gyroid (furniture)|gyroids]] around the player's town. Villagers may also comment on the weather.
  
 
In ''City Folk'' rain can be heard falling on the roofs of homes when inside them.
 
In ''City Folk'' rain can be heard falling on the roofs of homes when inside them.
  
If it is raining in the [[City]] in ''City Folk'', the town will also be affected by this rain, even if it is a clear day- plants would be automatically hydrated and gyroids would be found underground the next day. This only works if the player were to return from the city after visiting it in the rain, and will not work if they simply save the game and quit when in the city.[[File:Animal Crossing wikia Pictures 084.jpg|thumb|Note the dark grey clouds. This may produce rainfall]]
+
If it is raining in the [[City]] in ''City Folk'', the town will also be affected by this rain, even if it is a clear day- plants will be automatically hydrated and gyroids can be found underground the next day. This only works if the player returns from the city after visiting it in the rain, and will not work if they simply save the game and quit when in the city.
  
*'''[[Winter]]'''- Rain falls very infrequently in late winter, during February.
+
*'''[[Winter]]'''- Rain falls very infrequently in late winter.  
  
*'''[[Spring]]'''- moderate rainfall in spring.
+
*'''[[Spring]]'''- moderate rainfall occurs in the spring. Thunderstorms can occur, but it is rare.
  
*'''[[Summer]]'''- Summer has a great contrast in rain levels; early summer is completely dry, with clear skies and no rain. Late summer is the rainy season, with heavy thunderstorms and rainy weather spanning days.
+
*'''[[Summer]]'''- Summer has a great contrast in rain levels; early summer is completely dry, with clear skies and no rain. Late summer is plagued with heavy thunderstorms and rainy weather spanning days.
  
*'''[[Autumn]]'''- Like spring, there are moderate levels of rainfall in autumn.
+
*'''[[Autumn]]'''- Low to moderate levels of rainfall occur in Autumn. Thunderstorms taper off after the first month of September.
  
===Precipitation's Effect on Wildlife===
+
===Precipitation's effect on wildlife===
 
+
[[File:A Coelacanth!.JPG|thumb|Fishing on a snowy or rainy day is the only way to catch a [[Coelacanth]].]]
In all games in the ''Animal Crossing'' series, rain and snow influences the presence of insects and fish.
+
Rain and snow influences the presence of insects and fish.
  
 
====Fish====
 
====Fish====
 
{{main|Fish}}
 
{{main|Fish}}
[[File:Coelacanth.jpg|thumb|Fishing on a snowy or rainy day is the only way to catch a [[Coelacanth]].]]
+
One fish, the rare [[Coelacanth]], appears only when it rains or snows- this unusual behavior makes it even harder to catch.
It is generally considered that rain encourages more [[fish]] to appear in ''Animal Crossing'' games. One fish, the rare [[Coelacanth]], only appears when it rains or snows- this unusual behaviour makes it even harder to catch.
 
  
 
====Insects====
 
====Insects====
 
{{main|Bug}}
 
{{main|Bug}}
Many [[insect]]s only appear during the summer months due to the sunny, warm weather. Rain prevents [[butterfly|butterflies]], many varieties of [[beetle]]s, the [[scorpion]] and the [[tarantula]] from appearing even when they are in-season, but can also encourage others to appear - the [[Snail]] can only be found when it is raining. Cicadas can still be found when it is raining, but they do not make noise.
+
Many [[insect]]s only appear during the summer months due to the sunny, warm weather. Rain prevents butterflies, many varieties of beetles, the [[scorpion]] and the [[tarantula]] from appearing even when they are in-season. But it can also encourage insects to appear - the [[snail]] can be found only when it is raining. Cicadas can still be found when it is raining, but they make no noise.
  
The [[Dung Beetle]] is the only insect that is dependent on snow to exist – it appears exclusively when snow is on the ground, the reason being that it can only be found rolling snowballs around on the ground.
+
The [[Dung Beetle]] is the only insect that is dependent on snow to exist – it appears exclusively when snow is on the ground, the reason being that it can be found rolling around snowballs on the ground.
  
 
==Weather Warnings==
 
==Weather Warnings==
[[Image:Meteor Shower.JPG|300px|thumb|A bulletin notifying the Player of a soon-to-arrive meteor shower on ''City Folk''.]]
+
[[Image:Meteor Shower.JPG|200px|thumb|A bulletin notifying the Player of a soon-to-arrive meteor shower on ''City Folk''.]]
[[Image:Forecast.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Snow forecast on a television.]]At the start of each new major weather system, a note is left on the bulletin board to inform the [[Player]] of its imminent arrival.
+
[[Image:Forecast.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Snow forecast on a television.]]At the start of each new major weather system, a note is left on the bulletin board to inform the [[Player]] of its imminent arrival.
  
*'''Snow Warning'''- Two days before snow settles on the ground, a notice appears to notify the Player. Appears in early December.
+
*'''Snow Warning'''- Two days before snow settles on the ground, a notice appears to notify the Player. The notice appears in early December.
*'''New Year Weather'''- A bulletin that contains information on the following month's snow levels, temperature and the possibility of ponds freezing over. Posted in mid January.
+
*'''New Year Weather'''- A bulletin containing information on the following month's snow levels, temperature and the possibility of ponds freezing over. The notice is posted in mid January.
*'''Summer Forecast'''- Headed as 'Weather Forecast', this notice appears on the first Wednesday of [[May]]. It tells the Player of what weather to expect during the [[Summer]]- stating when the rainy season will start, and when the temperature should start to pick up.
+
*'''Summer Forecast'''- Headed as 'Weather Forecast', this notice appears on the first Wednesday of [[May]]. It reveals the [[Summer]] forecast- stating when the rainy season will start, and when the temperature should start to pick up.
  
 
*'''Meteor Shower'''- Although not a weather system, this note appears before a meteor shower labelled as a 'Weather Warning'. Meteor showers arrive at random times in the year, starting at 7PM and lasting well into the night. These do not appear in ''Wild World''.  
 
*'''Meteor Shower'''- Although not a weather system, this note appears before a meteor shower labelled as a 'Weather Warning'. Meteor showers arrive at random times in the year, starting at 7PM and lasting well into the night. These do not appear in ''Wild World''.  
  
In addition, weather can be forecast, providing a short-term summary of the overall conditions of the following day. If the Player owns a television, it will, at certain times of the day, display the weather, using symbols such as a sun, cloud or raindrop. This forecast is always correct, but is limited to generalising the next day's weather. It cannot, therefore, give hourly predictions.
+
In addition, weather can be forecasted, providing a short-term summary of the overall conditions of the following day. If the Player owns a television, it will, at certain times of the day, display the weather, using symbols such as a sun, cloud or raindrop. This forecast is always correct, but is limited to generalising the next day's weather. It cannot, therefore, give hourly predictions.
 
 
[[Image:TheFallingStar.JPG|thumb|200px|left|A meteor]]
 
  
 +
In {{NL}}, the instrument shelter, a [[public works project]], can inform the player of the next hour's weather.
 +
{{clear}}
 
==Other Weather Features and Facts==
 
==Other Weather Features and Facts==
[[Image:Rainbow.jpg|285px|left|thumb|A faint rainbow, as it appears in ''City Folk''.]]
+
*Unlike in ''City Folk'' and ''New Leaf'', [[Weather#Weather Warnings|meteors]] only appear on their own in ''Wild World''. They can be wished upon by pressing the 'A' button when it flashes through the sky. It is only possible to do this when holding no items. This will result in a present being mailed to the Player, containing a [[spotlight item]] usually only available from [[Tom Nook's Store]].
*Unlike in ''City Folk'', [[Weather#Weather Warnings|meteors]] only appear on their own in ''Wild World''. They can be wished upon by pressing the 'A' button when it flashes through the sky. It is only possible to do this when holding no items. This will result in a present being mailed to the Player, containing a [[spotlight item]] usually only available from [[Tom Nook's Store]].
 
  
*Rainbows can be seen very occasionaly in the sky, as they only appear when the sky has cleared suddenly after many hours of heavy rain or snowfall. The rainbow fills the sky, brightening as the hour progresses, until it peaks after thirty minutes. Within the hour, it disappears. During a rainbow, the chances of finding 100 Bells in trees is increased. They appear towards the end of the day, but not at night.
+
*Rainbows can be seen very occasionally in the sky, as they only appear when the sky has cleared suddenly after many hours of heavy rain or snowfall. The rainbow fills the sky, brightening as the hour progresses, until it peaks after thirty minutes. Within the hour, it disappears. During a rainbow, the chances of finding 100 Bells in trees is increased. They appear towards the end of the day, but not at night. In ''New Leaf'' it is possible to see a double rainbow.
  
*In both ''Wild World'' and ''City Folk'', the sky clears when a fireworks show is due to take place. Meteors only appear on clear nights as well, and are accompanied by a twinkling noise.
+
*In both ''Wild World'' and ''City Folk'', the sky clears when a fireworks show is due to take place. Meteors only appear on clear nights as well, and are accompanied by a twinkling noise. In ''New Leaf'', it will be sunny the whole day when the Fireworks show is set to take place.
  
 
*In the [[city]] area in ''City Folk'', the weather is often different to that in the Player's town. Snow does not settle in the city, but does on the bus that drives to and from it. If it is raining in the city, the animals there will carry umbrellas.
 
*In the [[city]] area in ''City Folk'', the weather is often different to that in the Player's town. Snow does not settle in the city, but does on the bus that drives to and from it. If it is raining in the city, the animals there will carry umbrellas.
  
* Confetti falls continuously from the sky during the [[Festivale]] in ''City Folk''. On this day, the sky tends to be very clear- any snow fall would conflict with the fall of confetti.
+
* Confetti falls continuously from the sky during the [[Festivale]] in ''City Folk'' and ''New Leaf''. On this day, the sky tends to be very clear- any snow fall would conflict with the fall of confetti.
  
 
*From the 6<sup>th</sup> to the 8<sup>th</sup> of [[April]] in ''City Folk'' and ''Animal Crossing'', blossom from the trees floats through the sky, much like confetti does during the Festivale in ''City Folk'' (see above). The sky is clear on these days. On the 9<sup>th</sup>, [[tree]]s go green and blossom stops falling.
 
*From the 6<sup>th</sup> to the 8<sup>th</sup> of [[April]] in ''City Folk'' and ''Animal Crossing'', blossom from the trees floats through the sky, much like confetti does during the Festivale in ''City Folk'' (see above). The sky is clear on these days. On the 9<sup>th</sup>, [[tree]]s go green and blossom stops falling.
[[Category: Gameplay Elements]]
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[[category:featured Articles]]
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==Gallery==
 +
<gallery>
 +
File:TheFallingStar.JPG|A meteor falling from the sky.
 +
File:Rainbow.jpg|A faint rainbow, as it appears in ''City Folk''.
 +
File:In the rain.JPG|A player in the rain.
 +
File:DoubleRainbowNL.JPG|A double rainbow in ''New Leaf''.
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Gameplay Elements]]

Revision as of 08:55, December 3, 2019

File:Snowy.jpg
Snow falling slowly in Wild World

Weather plays a major part in the Animal Crossing series, changing daily and reflecting the seasons. Notable weather changes include winter snowstorms, late summer rainstorms and the clear skies of early summer. Weather is mentioned by villagers, influenced by the flora and fauna in the player's town, and, most importantly, reflected by the seasons and the time of year, greatly enhancing gameplay. In the original Animal Crossing, the layout of the game ensured that the sky was only visible at one occasion, on the train- it was always cloudy. This means that the paragraphs about cloud coverage only apply to Animal Crossing: Wild World, Animal Crossing: City Folk and Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

Weather consists of two main features- precipitation and cloud coverage. These aspects are present constantly, whilst other, more unusual features add to the variation of the game.

Cloud Coverage

The sky as it changes throughout the day, from 6:00am to 4:00am.
The six cloud stages. Please note that these clouds are from City Folk
File:Night.jpg
Clouds in Wild World have a more uniform shape
Cloud coverage changing in the last 10 minutes of the hour in City Folk. This feature is not found in Wild World

There are many different levels of Cloud Coverage. These levels can potentially change every hour, and range from clear to complete. Cloud coverage changes abruptly in Wild World, but in City Folk changes gradually in the last ten minutes before the hour.

Clouds always travel from the north of the town towards the sea, somewhat contradicting the fluttering of the town flag and the floating pattern of balloons. Clouds appear white in the day, unless rain bearing, upon which they are grey. Clouds at night are a darker shade of grey. Cloud coverage gives an indication as to what the weather will be like in the coming hours. Dark, thick clouds usually signify rain, whereas light cloud usually means that the skies will be clear later on.

Clouds in Wild World consist entirely of oval-shapes, and are bright white. They can be viewed on the upper screen of the Nintendo DS. Clouds in City Folk are less regular in shape and color, and so appear more varied. They can be viewed on the horizon or by pressing the 'up' button on the Wii remote. This rolls the screen up so that the sky dominates the view.

There are six varieties of cloud coverage, which affect various, minor aspects of gameplay. For example, the brightness of a room, whether lights are on or not, and the comments of villagers. Here is a list and brief description of the six cloud densities.

  • Clear: No clouds in the sky. The sky appears bright blue, or at night, full of stars.
  • Wisp: Similar to clear, but with faint, infrequent specks of white cloud trailing across the sky.
  • Light: Noticeable clouds in the sky, dispersed but still frequent.
  • Moderate: Substantial cloud cover, lowered level of brightness.
  • Dense: Packed clouds with gaps in coverage. Low level of brightness and lowered visibility.
  • Complete (1): Heavy and steel grey with only small breaks in cloud. Always bearing rain. Low visibility, horizon appears dull and foggy.
  • Complete (2): During a thunderstorm, or when snow is falling, the clouds will have even less breaks in them. Low visibility, horizon appears dull and foggy.

Precipitation

A snow-coated town. Note the dense, grey cloud in the sky

Precipitation comes in two forms in Animal Crossing; rain or snow. Snow falls only in the winter months, with rain occurring during the rest of the year, though especially during spring and the late summer rainy season. Precipitation can change from hour to hour, but will often last for much of the day, easing off as the day progresses.

Snow

Snow falls from mid November until early February, settling in early December, with complete coverage by the 11th of December (10th in Animal Crossing). Settled snow covers all grassy areas, buildings and trees. Snowballs appear around town every day in winter, and can be rolled into snowmen. When snowing, town music varies slightly, with sleigh bell sounds integrated into each tune. In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, snowflakes can also be found flying around. Snow hydrates wilted flowers without the need of a watering can. Villagers who are outside during winter may talk about the abundance of snow or the cold.

On the 10th of December, heavy snowfall can be sighted, leading to snow sticking to the ground the next day. Due to a bug in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, on certain calendar patterns where the 10th falls on a Saturday, it will not snow due to it conflicting with the fishing tournament.

Rain

File:Animal Crossing wikia Pictures 084.jpg
Note the dark grey clouds. This may produce rainfall

Rain falls throughout the year, in all four seasons. Rain, like snow, waters wilted plants without the need for a watering can. Rain is reflected in the town's music with a light ringing noise, in Animal Crossing , only one tune plays during rainy weather, no matter the hour. Villagers who are outside when rain is falling carry umbrellas and might also comment on the weather. After a rainy day, it is common to find gyroids around the player's town. Villagers may also comment on the weather.

In City Folk rain can be heard falling on the roofs of homes when inside them.

If it is raining in the City in City Folk, the town will also be affected by this rain, even if it is a clear day- plants will be automatically hydrated and gyroids can be found underground the next day. This only works if the player returns from the city after visiting it in the rain, and will not work if they simply save the game and quit when in the city.

  • Winter- Rain falls very infrequently in late winter.
  • Spring- moderate rainfall occurs in the spring. Thunderstorms can occur, but it is rare.
  • Summer- Summer has a great contrast in rain levels; early summer is completely dry, with clear skies and no rain. Late summer is plagued with heavy thunderstorms and rainy weather spanning days.
  • Autumn- Low to moderate levels of rainfall occur in Autumn. Thunderstorms taper off after the first month of September.

Precipitation's effect on wildlife

File:A Coelacanth!.JPG
Fishing on a snowy or rainy day is the only way to catch a Coelacanth.

Rain and snow influences the presence of insects and fish.

Fish

Main article: Fish

One fish, the rare Coelacanth, appears only when it rains or snows- this unusual behavior makes it even harder to catch.

Insects

Main article: Bug

Many insects only appear during the summer months due to the sunny, warm weather. Rain prevents butterflies, many varieties of beetles, the scorpion and the tarantula from appearing even when they are in-season. But it can also encourage insects to appear - the snail can be found only when it is raining. Cicadas can still be found when it is raining, but they make no noise.

The Dung Beetle is the only insect that is dependent on snow to exist – it appears exclusively when snow is on the ground, the reason being that it can be found rolling around snowballs on the ground.

Weather Warnings

File:Meteor Shower.JPG
A bulletin notifying the Player of a soon-to-arrive meteor shower on City Folk.
Snow forecast on a television.

At the start of each new major weather system, a note is left on the bulletin board to inform the Player of its imminent arrival.

  • Snow Warning- Two days before snow settles on the ground, a notice appears to notify the Player. The notice appears in early December.
  • New Year Weather- A bulletin containing information on the following month's snow levels, temperature and the possibility of ponds freezing over. The notice is posted in mid January.
  • Summer Forecast- Headed as 'Weather Forecast', this notice appears on the first Wednesday of May. It reveals the Summer forecast- stating when the rainy season will start, and when the temperature should start to pick up.
  • Meteor Shower- Although not a weather system, this note appears before a meteor shower labelled as a 'Weather Warning'. Meteor showers arrive at random times in the year, starting at 7PM and lasting well into the night. These do not appear in Wild World.

In addition, weather can be forecasted, providing a short-term summary of the overall conditions of the following day. If the Player owns a television, it will, at certain times of the day, display the weather, using symbols such as a sun, cloud or raindrop. This forecast is always correct, but is limited to generalising the next day's weather. It cannot, therefore, give hourly predictions.

In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the instrument shelter, a public works project, can inform the player of the next hour's weather.

Other Weather Features and Facts

  • Unlike in City Folk and New Leaf, meteors only appear on their own in Wild World. They can be wished upon by pressing the 'A' button when it flashes through the sky. It is only possible to do this when holding no items. This will result in a present being mailed to the Player, containing a spotlight item usually only available from Tom Nook's Store.
  • Rainbows can be seen very occasionally in the sky, as they only appear when the sky has cleared suddenly after many hours of heavy rain or snowfall. The rainbow fills the sky, brightening as the hour progresses, until it peaks after thirty minutes. Within the hour, it disappears. During a rainbow, the chances of finding 100 Bells in trees is increased. They appear towards the end of the day, but not at night. In New Leaf it is possible to see a double rainbow.
  • In both Wild World and City Folk, the sky clears when a fireworks show is due to take place. Meteors only appear on clear nights as well, and are accompanied by a twinkling noise. In New Leaf, it will be sunny the whole day when the Fireworks show is set to take place.
  • In the city area in City Folk, the weather is often different to that in the Player's town. Snow does not settle in the city, but does on the bus that drives to and from it. If it is raining in the city, the animals there will carry umbrellas.
  • Confetti falls continuously from the sky during the Festivale in City Folk and New Leaf. On this day, the sky tends to be very clear- any snow fall would conflict with the fall of confetti.
  • From the 6th to the 8th of April in City Folk and Animal Crossing, blossom from the trees floats through the sky, much like confetti does during the Festivale in City Folk (see above). The sky is clear on these days. On the 9th, trees go green and blossom stops falling.

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