The weather in Monster Hunter Wilds is not atmosphere — it is a hunting system. The same Scarlet Forest where you farmed herbivore parts in calm sunlight becomes a flooded kill-zone when the Downpour hits, with Uth Duna surfacing and Waterblight stacking on every step. Miss a weather window and you are waiting through a full cycle for the apex predator you need. Get it right and the environment fights alongside you instead of against you.
This guide breaks down every weather cycle, what each biome’s inclemency does to the difficulty of a hunt, and how to read and manipulate the forecast so you are never caught under-prepared.
Quick Start: 5 Steps to Master MHW Weather
- Check the mini-map icon (bottom-left corner): purple swirl = Fallow, green circle = Plenty, red magatama = Inclemency.
- Open the full map and press the shoulder button to flip to the forecast tab — this shows upcoming weather shifts and monster activity before they happen.
- Pack Hot Drinks before entering Iceshard Cliffs; pack Cool Drinks or Chillmantle Bugs before Oilwell Basin.
- Reach High Rank before trying to manually change weather — the option is locked during Low Rank and during active quests.
- Apex monsters only appear during inclemency — do not waste time searching for Rey Dau or Jin Dahaad in Fallow or Plenty.
The Three Weather States: How the Cycle Works
The cycle always runs in the same order: Fallow, then Inclemency, then Plenty — then it repeats. The map timer shows exactly how long until the next shift. That number is the most useful piece of information in the game for planning a farming session. [1][4]
Monster Hunter Wilds director Yuya Tokuda described the design intent: “During the Fallow there isn’t much to eat, so the monsters will act more aggressively.” [8] That aggression is exploitable — hungry monsters charging each other deal free damage and generate wound openings before you even draw a weapon.
Fallow: Resources drop across the map — flora becomes sparse, endemic life retreats, and large monsters fight each other over food. The combat environment is noisier and more chaotic, but that chaos is useful. Bait traps are more effective here because starving monsters are more likely to take them [5], and inter-monster fights mean free staggers and wounds.
Inclemency: The transition from scarcity to abundance triggers a region-specific environmental event — sandstorms, floods, magma eruptions, blizzards, or energy pulses. Each biome’s inclemency is the exclusive window for its apex predator, and it adds environmental hazards that modify the difficulty of every fight in that zone. [2][3]
Plenty: After the storm, life returns. Herbivore herds emerge, endemic life populations peak, and gathering nodes yield more materials. Large monsters settle into solitary behavior — less chaotic fights with more predictable attack patterns. [8]
| State | Mini-Map Icon | Visual Cue | Monster Behavior | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallow | Purple swirl | Dull skies, sparse flora, dry terrain | Pack fighting, high aggression, competing for food | Bait traps, inter-monster wound exploitation |
| Inclemency | Red magatama | Biome-specific catastrophe (storm/flood/fire/blizzard/energy) | Apex predators emerge, region-specific behaviors | Apex material farming, challenge hunts |
| Plenty | Green circle | Clear skies, lush vegetation, grazing herbivore herds | Solitary, calmer, less territorial | Material and endemic life gathering runs |
How to Read the Weather Forecast In-Game
Three methods, ordered by speed:
Mini-map icon (fastest): Bottom-left of the screen, updates in real time. Purple swirl = Fallow. Green circle = Plenty. Red magatama = Inclemency. [3]
Map screen forecast (most useful): Open the full map and press the shoulder button to flip to the forecast tab. This shows upcoming weather changes, monster activity spikes, and endemic life outbreaks for the current locale — timed to the in-game clock. The countdown timer next to the current weather state is the number to watch. [6]
Visual scan (slowest, but available anywhere): Plenty is bright and lush. Fallow is dull and dry. Inclemency is unmistakable per biome — you will know a Sandtide from a Downpour the moment you see one.
The forecast countdown is the planning tool. If Inclemency is 10 minutes away and the apex monster arena takes 8 minutes to reach, start moving. Do not restock and then move — that costs the window.
Inclemency by Biome: What Changes, Who Shows Up, How Hard It Gets
Each of the five regions runs its own inclemency type. They share the cycle timing and the broad pattern — apex monster appears, environmental hazards increase, standard hunts get harder — but the specifics of what changes are entirely region-specific.
| Biome | Inclemency | Apex Monster | Environmental Hazard | Required Item | Tactical Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windward Plains | Sandtide | Rey Dau (Flying Wyvern) | Lightning strikes, reduced visibility, unstable footing | None mandatory | Lightning highlights impact zone before striking — drag enemies into strike zones for free damage [5] |
| Scarlet Forest | Downpour | Uth Duna (Leviathan) | Flooding, impaired movement, Waterblight risk | None mandatory | Uth Duna’s tidal waves are Downpour-exclusive — in clear weather the fight is significantly easier [2] |
| Oilwell Basin | Firespring | Nu Udra (Cephalopod) | Magma flows, fire eruptions, persistent heat damage | Cool Drink or Chillmantle Bug | Fire resistance armor cuts chip damage in open areas; Nu Udra’s oil coating ignites in the magma [5] |
| Iceshard Cliffs | Frostwinds | Jin Dahaad (Leviathan) | Billowing frost, cold exposure, floating debris | Hot Drink or Hot Pepper | Slinger-drag floating debris into enemies for staggers; defeating Jin Dahaad ends the Frostwinds early [2] |
| Ruins of Wyveria | Wyvern’s Wakening | Guardian Monsters | Mysterious energy pulses via Wyrmways | None mandatory | Crystallized carcasses from Guardian Monsters yield rare melding materials [3] |
Windward Plains — Sandtide: Rey Dau is an electric-based Flying Wyvern that uses the storm as part of its attack kit. The lightning does not fall randomly — each strike zone is briefly highlighted before impact [5]. That preview window is a weapon. Slower-moving monsters can be herded into the strike zone with positioning, dealing significant free damage. Thunder resistance gear is worth equipping if you are fighting in the center of the plains rather than near the edges.
Scarlet Forest — Downpour: The most important note about Uth Duna is that its tidal wave attacks are mechanically locked to the Downpour. In clear weather, Uth Duna still fights, but it is a standard large-monster encounter. In the Downpour, the entire floor becomes a flood traversal challenge with Waterblight stacking on every forced-swim moment. [2] Water resistance armor changes this fight category from frustrating to manageable.
Oilwell Basin — Firespring: This is the inclemency where under-preparation causes the most wipes. Magma erupts from craters across the basin and the ambient heat deals passive chip damage in open areas without a Cool Drink or Chillmantle Bug active. Nu Udra coats itself in oil and uses the fires for extended coverage — incoming fire damage during this fight compounds quickly without preparation. Stock Cool Drinks before entry, not at the camp during the fight. [5]
Iceshard Cliffs — Frostwinds: Jin Dahaad is unique among apex predators in that its encounter is a siege-format fight requiring you to move to a dedicated arena. Defeating Jin Dahaad ends the Frostwinds weather early — if you are farming the Iceshard Cliffs and need to return to Plenty for resources, clearing the boss is faster than waiting out the timer. [2] The Frostwinds also scatter additional floating debris around the cliffs that can be Slinger-dragged into enemies for bonus staggers.
Ruins of Wyveria — Wyvern’s Wakening: This region operates differently from the other four. Rather than a single named apex predator, the Wyvern’s Wakening triggers a surge of Guardian Monster activity from cocoons across the Wyrmways. The crystallized carcasses these monsters leave behind yield rare melding materials not reliably available outside this window. [3] This inclemency is primarily a crafting and end-game farming opportunity.
Which Hunts Get Harder (and Easier) by Weather State
Weather does not affect the difficulty of quest-assigned monsters — it only changes open-world (Expedition) encounters. Within expeditions, here is how hunt difficulty shifts:
| Hunt Type | Fallow | Inclemency | Plenty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex monster | Does not spawn — wait for inclemency | Hardest: apex active plus environmental damage | Does not spawn — wait for inclemency |
| Large non-apex monster | Moderate — erratic, pack interference | Harder — environmental hazards add chip damage and movement penalties | Easiest — solitary, predictable behavior patterns |
| Material and resource run | Harder — sparse flora and endemic life | Dangerous — active hazards interrupt gathering | Easiest — peak spawn rates for both |
| Endemic life collection | Poor spawns | Very poor spawns, active hazards | Best spawns of the three states |
| Monster-vs-monster exploitation | Best — pack fights everywhere | Available but hazardous | Rare — monsters act alone |
For grinding specific non-apex materials (armor components, upgrade items), Plenty is almost always the optimal window — solitary monsters, no environmental chip, and you can plan approach routes without factoring in storm movement. For elemental resistance loadout prep before an inclemency, see our elemental damage guide for which element each apex predator is most vulnerable to.
The endgame changes this calculus slightly: at High Rank, inclemency-exclusive materials become the bottleneck for top-tier crafting. Once you have cleared story content, manual weather control via camp Rest becomes a core farming tool rather than an occasional convenience — see our endgame guide for how to structure High Rank farming sessions around the weather cycle.
How to Change Weather Manually
Manual weather control is High Rank only — it is not available during Low Rank or inside an active quest.
- Return to any Base Camp or Pop-Up Camp.
- Open the BBQ Menu (the cooking station in camp).
- Select Rest (below the “Grill a Meal” option).
- Choose your preferred weather state and time of day.
- Confirm the change.
Cost note: The majority of community sources report 300 Guild Points per weather change. [2][3][6] At least one source cites 500 Guild Points. [1] The exact cost may have changed across title updates — check the Rest menu in your game for the current figure before planning a farming session. Either way, a full session of optional quests at High Rank generates enough Guild Points to change weather multiple times without depleting your reserve.
Weather changes cannot be used during active quests, so set your target weather before launching an expedition, not after you have already loaded in.
Weather Strategy by Player Type
The same weather state serves different purposes depending on what you are trying to accomplish. New players and completionists need different things from a Plenty window than optimisers farming apex materials.
| Player Type | Fallow Strategy | Inclemency Strategy | Plenty Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| New player | Use monster-vs-monster fights as distraction, not as a threat — safer time to approach from the flank | Avoid until story unlocks; always stock temperature drinks before loading in | Best window to explore, learn biome layouts, and gather without constant interruption |
| Casual player | Exploit inter-monster fights to pre-damage targets before engaging; deploy bait for easier positioning | Pick one apex target per session; use a biome-matched resistance set | Efficient material runs — gather everything needed for crafting queues in one session |
| Hardcore / optimiser | Stack wounds via monster conflicts before engaging; use bait traps for approach positioning; track pack movement to chain multiple monster fights for materials | Time inclemency entry mid-cycle for maximum apex roaming radius; weaponize environmental effects (Sandtide lightning, Frostwinds debris); use Jin Dahaad defeat to fast-exit Frostwinds if pivoting to resource farming | Chain gathering routes across all endemic life and material categories in one Plenty window; pre-stock all consumables for the next inclemency cycle |
| Completionist | Document Fallow-exclusive endemic life locations per biome | Catalogue all apex monster behaviors, attack patterns, and spawn conditions | Systematically collect weather-exclusive resources from each biome |
For new players who have not yet entered High Rank, the Plenty window is the single best time to grind out the story content needed to unlock manual weather control — lower interruption means faster quest completion. Our full Monster Hunter Wilds guide covers the progression path from Low Rank through to High Rank unlock, including which quests gate weather control access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does weather affect quest monsters?
No. Weather only affects open-world (Expedition) monster spawns and behavior. Quest-assigned monsters appear regardless of current conditions.
Can I change weather during an active quest?
No. Weather changes via the Rest option are only available at High Rank and when you are not in an active quest. Plan your target weather before starting an expedition.
What is the best weather for farming materials?
Plenty for general materials and endemic life. Inclemency for apex-exclusive materials. Fallow for inter-monster wound exploitation before a targeted hunt.
Do apex monsters appear outside of inclemency?
After defeating them in story quests, they can be triggered via manual weather change using the Rest option in camp. They do not roam freely in Fallow or Plenty outside of that manual trigger.
How long does each weather state last?
Capcom has not published fixed durations for each state. The forecast tab in the map screen shows the exact in-game countdown until the next shift. Use that timer to plan rather than estimating by feel.
Does defeating Jin Dahaad always end the Frostwinds?
Based on observed in-game behavior, yes — clearing the Jin Dahaad siege fight ends the Frostwinds early in that session. This is a community-reported pattern rather than officially documented behavior; verify in your own playthrough.
Verified on Monster Hunter Wilds base release through Title Update 4 (December 2025). Core weather mechanics are unchanged across updates. Guild Points cost for weather changes may vary by patch — check in-game.
Sources
- Weather System Explained — Game8
- Every Type Of Weather And What It Does In Monster Hunter Wilds — The Gamer
- How to Master Monster Hunter Wilds Dynamic Weather — Icy Veins
- Monster Hunter Wilds weather system explained — The Backdash
- Monster Hunter Wilds Weather Guide: Fallow, Inclemency & Plenty — TechWiser
- How to change the weather and time of day — Shacknews
- List of All Apex Monsters — Game8
- How Monster Hunter Wilds’ Weather System Affects Gameplay — GameRant
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.