Storms, fog and blackouts: weather and server events on ZA-Z
Knox County's weather on ZA-Z runs on the game's own climate, set to normal rain, temperature and fog. On top of that the server has an events engine that stages weather to the in-game minute: a storm with a proper build-up and fade, a tropical storm or blizzard, a fog bank, a heat wave or cold snap, a lightning show, dry thunder, and messages over chat and the emergency radio. Everyone online gets the same sky at the same moment, with no relog needed.
#What weather events can the server run?
| Event | What you notice |
|---|---|
| Showers, drizzle, moderate or heavy rain | Anything from a light sprinkle to a steady downpour, with wind to match |
| Thunderstorm | Heavy rain, thunder clouds overhead, sometimes fog |
| Tropical storm | The worst the game has: full strength, thick fog, and a thunder cloud 15,000 tiles across parked over one survivor |
| Blizzard | Gale-force wind and dense fog. Snow only when it is below 0C in winter; rain the rest of the year |
| Fog bank | Dense fog that rolls in over a few minutes and sits for hours |
| Heat wave or cold snap | The air held at a set temperature, anywhere from -30C to 50C, often with wind or grey skies |
| Darkness at noon | Daylight pulled down to near night for a while |
| Lightning show | A string of bolts near players: flash, crack, rumble |
| Dry thunder | A thunder cloud that brings no rain |
Event times run on the in-game clock, where one hour is 7.5 real minutes. A planned thunderstorm with an hour of build-up, four hours of storm and three hours of fade is over in about an hour of real play.
#How do storms start and end?
Storms build. Rain, wind and cloud climb over a few real minutes and the temperature drops with them: in a test storm on 10 September 2026 the rain went from nothing to heavy, the wind from calm to strong, and the air fell from 27.6C to 18.6C before the peak. A planned storm runs its peak and then eases off over in-game hours until the rain stops.
The server can also stop the weather dead. Rain and wind vanish in the same instant and the sky clears with a snap. If that happens, nothing is wrong with your game.
#Is lightning dangerous in Project Zomboid?
No. Lightning from the server does no damage and starts no fires. The flash reaches anyone within 7,500 tiles, and the thunder carries 10,000 tiles and arrives later the farther away you are: about one second for every 300 tiles, just like counting after a real flash. Thunder is sound in your headphones only. Zombies do not hear it and will not come looking.
#What about power, water and server messages?
- Power and water. A planned cut is written ahead of time and lands at a server restart, never in the middle of a session: a live cut leaves connected players with lights frozen on or off. A restore can happen live, but if you joined during the outage you must relog to see it. Right now the grid has no shutoff at all and mains water runs until Day 150; see Power and Water.
- Messages. Event messages go out in server chat, on the emergency broadcast (AEBS Radio), or both. On the radio they can go out on every radio and TV station at once, not only 107.8 MHz.
- Timing. The in-game clock stops whenever the server is empty, so events only happen while someone is online to see them.
#How do I prepare when the weather turns?
- Stay dry. Soaked and cold is how you catch a cold. Wear a raincoat or carry an umbrella, get indoors, and dry off by a fire or with a towel.
- Put barrels out. A storm is free water, and once the mains fail on Day 150 rain collectors become a main supply. Rainwater counts as tainted in Build 42, so boil it.
- Respect the fog. You see far less, and anything waiting for you is harder to spot. Slow down, listen, and never drive fast into it.
- Dress for the air. In a heat wave strip layers and drink more; in a cold snap or a winter blizzard layer up and keep a fire going.
- Ignore the thunder. It will make you jump, and that is all it does.
- Listen to the radio. The hourly bulletin gives a two-day forecast and warns of thunderstorms, tropical storms and blizzards 2 to 5 days ahead.
If something odd happens around a weather or power change, check Troubleshooting before anything else: most of the time the answer is a relog.