Weather Events

Overview[]

Due to the failed terraforming process on Icarus, the moon is wracked by frequent weather events, both beautiful and frightening visuals can be seen in a single day. The failed terraforming zone shares a moderately Earth-like climate, and the weather events that roll across Icarus's surface are somewhat comparable to those from Earth but supercharged to a degree. The types and intensity of weather events vary across the various biomes on Icarus.

As the Prospector's drop ship settles onto Icarus’s soil in the early hours of the morning, they can expect to cast their eyes on stunning clear skies and sunshine that touches the trees, lakes, and mountain tops. Prospectors have little time to forage for Resources, Craft early Tier Tools and Weapons, and Build Shelter prior to their first event encounter. There is no rhyme and reason for which storm they will experience first, meaning the more prepared they are, the better.

Event Severities and Dangers[]

Weather events are listed below in general order of amplitude, but due to variability Prospectors should know that some "lighter" weather events can be as intense as some listed as "heavier." Additionally, as the Prospector attempts more difficult missions, the overall level of weather events can increase, resulting in "lighter" storms ripping through wooden buildings and "heavier" storms that can demolish stone dwellings.

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ to Icarus's weather systems. The weather tiers in Icarus range from light showers to chaotic, torrential thunder weather events. They are also unique to their Biomes, with blizzards in the Arctic and sand weather events in the Desert. Each weather tier provides a visual and audio experience and even more importantly, a game-altering experience based on its severity. One of the biggest culprits is lightning.

A targeted lighting strike will set some structures ablaze, along with Prospectors who are not careful and out of cover. A tree caught by a lightning strike will spread its fire throughout nearby trees and ground-level foliage. Besides lightning, many weather events will damage Prospector's Buildings and Deployables. For example, lightning from the flash storm in the Forest biome will often ignite Thatch Building Pieces and those made from Wood. Deployables like Crafting Benches will take damage from winds if placed near an open window. Care should be taken when selecting Building materials and when constructing buildings for this reason.

Exposure[]

Exposure is a genuine danger, and while a Prospector can attempt to push through a storm without shelter, the Negative Status Effect from exposure will start to damage the Prospector, and without shelter, death will swiftly come to them. The same goes for unsheltered Deployables, which will deteriorate and break over time.

Weather Event Tiers[]

Weather events occur once per block in the current Weather Forecast, with a 25% chance to be 1 tier lower, and a 25% chance to be one tier higher, leaving a 50% chance to be the same tier as the block. Some Tier 3 and 4 storms will damage wood and material of similar strength (and below) while Tier 5 and 6 Storms can damage stone and equivalent. No storms currently damage Concrete. Each weather event has three stages, Start/End, Body, Chaos. Depending on the severity of the Event and your Exposure Resistance the Start/End stage is where you determine shelter options. The Body or darker green stage you will experience exposure to some degree. The mid point of the storm is Chaos, there can be multiple chaos periods within the center of the Event. Once a player reaches 100% exposure, health will drop and in extreme storms a player will die without taking precautions.


Storm	Biome	Length in Seconds	Tier
Ashen Billows	Volcanic	340	0
Clearing Wind	Swamp	340	0
Scattered Hail	Grassland	310	0
Showers	Forest	340	0
Light Acid Fog	Swamp	340	0
Very LIght Sand	Desert	340	0
Very Light Snow	Arctic	340	0
Acid Haze	Swamp	360	1
Arid Winds	Desert	360	1
Arctic Winds	Arctic	360	1
Ashen Haze	Volcanic	430	1
Rain	Forest	460	1
Sulfuric Rumbling	Volcanic	430	1
Swamp Winds	Swamp	380	1
Acid Showers	Swamp	470	2
Acid Showers	Volcanic	470	2
Ember Sprinkles	Volcanic	390	2
Light Hail	Grassland	360	2
Light Wind	Forest	410	2
Light Sand	Desert	400	2
Light Snow	Arctic	490	2
Swamp Gusts	Swamp	440	2
Acid Smog	Swamp	340	3
Ashen Smog	Volcanic	460	3
Hail Peltering	Grassland	460	3
Heatwave	Desert	460	3
Putrid Gases	Swamp	380	3
Storm	Forest	460	3
Snow	Arctic	490	3
Sulfuric Storm	Volcanic	430	3
Volcanic Heatwave	Volcanic	460	3
Acid Rain Storm	Swamp	420	4
Acid Rain Storm	Volcanic	420	4
Hailstorm	Grassland	480	4
Snow Storm	Arctic	400	4
Medium Sand	Desert	400	4
Flash Storm	Forest	275	4
Scattered Embers	Volcanic	450	4
Swamp Gales	Swamp	430	4
Ashen Veil	Volcanic	450	5
Severe Desert Winds	Desert	470	5
Shamal	Desert	520	5
Severe Winds	Forest	460	5
Sulfuric Upheaval	Volcanic	430	5
Medium Snow	Arctic	490	5
Severe Arctic Winds	Arctic	470	5
Thick Acid Fog	Swamp	385	5
Thick Putrid Gases	Swamp	380	5
Thunder Storm	Forest	475	5
Acid Deluge	Swamp	380	6
Acid Deluge	Volcanic	380	6
Ember Storm	Volcanic	490	6
Heavy Sand	Desert	400	6
Blizzard	Arctic	520	6
Heavy Rain	Forest	460	6
Heavy Snow	Arctic	490	6

Above is an infographic indicating how resistant each building material is to each storm tier.
Note: Glass building pieces are the equivalent of wood building pieces, but reinforced glass pieces are the equivalent of stone building pieces. To create reinforced glass building pieces, the Glassworking Bench must be connected to an active water network providing at least 250 units of water (requires a Water Pump and Water Pipe Tool).

Weather Event Biome Variations[]

There are various types of weather events on Icarus, which range from light weather events to extreme weather events. Each biome also have its own exclusive weather events. The intensity of weather events is often tied to the ferocity of the wind.

Arctic Biome Weather Events[]

In the Arctic, weather events usually bring snow and colder temperatures. Prospectors who are wearing Fur Armor or Polar Bear Armor can mitigate storm effects slightly, but the extremely cold temperatures found in the biome require both Shelter and a source of heat to avoid Exposure and death.
Weather Events in the Arctic include:

Light Snow	Medium Snow	Heavy Snow	Extreme Snowstorm

Desert Biome Weather Events[]

In the Desert, weather events involve blowing sands and scorching temperatures. Sturdy structures are required, preferably made from Concrete Building Pieces to mitigate the high temperatures.
Weather events in the Desert include:

Light Sand	Medium Sand	Heavy Sand	Extreme Sandstorm

Forest Biome Weather Events[]

In the Forest, weather events usually entail precipitation, winds and lightning. Prospectors easily ride out a storm if they have Shelter, as temperatures are not extreme in the Forest.
Weather Events in the Forest include:
Light Rain

Light Winds

Medium Rain

Medium Lightning

Heavy Rain

Extreme Winds

Extreme Rain

Extreme Lightning