Over the hill weather at a glance
- Canada has 21 weathers. The most common are Light Precipitation (12%), Partly Cloudy (10%) and Mostly Cloudy (10%); the rarest is Imminent Storm (<1%). It storms 9% of the time.
- Algeria has 12 weathers. The most common are Mostly Clear (19%), Cirrus Clouds (13%) and Clear (13%); the rarest is Light Precipitation (1%). It storms 6% of the time.
- Each weather lasts 2.5 in-game hours on average, so a game day goes through about 10 of them, a new one every 7.6 real minutes or so.
- Weather changes two things: how a wet car grips and which animals spawn. Storms do no damage, and the aurora in Canada does not care what the sky is doing. Everything here comes from the game files and has been checked in the game by real players. If you spot a mistake or have a suggestion, email contact@overthehill.app.
How over the hill weather changes
- Each weather lasts a random 1 to 4 in-game hours. Then the game picks the next one from that weather's short list, shown under Changes to with the odds.
- The first time you enter an area, the time of day is random and the weather is any of the region's list, all equally likely.
- Single player remembers each area's time and weather. The game saves when you finish a point of interest, use a portal, leave the mechanic or quit, and each save records the clock and weather of the area you are in. Loading that area from the menu picks them up again.
- Going through a portal does not: the area you arrive in gets a new random time and weather, single player included. Multiplayer rolls them when the session starts and never uses the saved ones.
- Cloud Clearing Bell (a tool): sets the weather to clear right away, for everyone in the session. Clear lasts 1 to 4 hours like any other weather, then the usual chain continues from it. If the sky is already clear the game tells you so and the bell is not used up.
- Camping skips 12 in-game hours at 50× speed, about 44 seconds. Weather keeps changing as normal while time flies, so it is the easy way to wait out a storm. Everyone in the party has to be within 15 m.
- Aurora: when night starts at 20:00, each Canada area rolls its chance for an aurora that night. Algeria never gets one. No weather cancels it.
- Animals depend on the weather at the moment they spawn: all of them in dry weather, only some in wet weather, none in storms. See the wildlife guide.
Share of the time is the long-run average over many hours of play, worked out from the odds. It is not a forecast.
Wet ground and grip
Weather does one thing to driving: a wet car grips a little differently. Nothing else changes, not even in storms. Wind only changes the sound.
- Rain (hail storm, heavy precipitation, light precipitation, storm eye and thunder storm) soaks the car over 2 minutes. It dries 40 seconds after the rain stops.
- Water: spinning the wheels in water, or going all the way under, soaks the car in 15 seconds. It dries in 40 seconds.
- Snow: a snow storm covers the ground over 2 minutes. Once it settles, the car picks up snow in 30 seconds, and snow on the car counts as wet. Ground snow melts over 12 minutes, or 5 minutes in rain.
- Whichever of the three is highest sets how wet the car is. Each wheel then adjusts its grip for the ground it is on, by the amount below at fully wet.
| Grounddry grip on stock tires | Gripfully wet | Dragfully wet |
|---|---|---|
| Rock 0.92, Dirt 0.88, Gravel 0.84, Grass 0.82, Overgrown 0.82, Loose rock 0.77 | −0.04 | +0.02 |
| Wood planks 0.78, Bricks 0.78, Metal 0.78, Logs 0.78, Quicksand 0.75 | −0.10 | – |
| Sand 0.70, Deep sand 0.65 | +0.04 | +0.08 |
| Mud 0.35 | −0.02 | −0.02 |
| Ice 0.30 | −0.08 | – |
| Deep mud 0.22 | −0.04 | −0.04 |
Deep snow, shallow snow, snow and water are the same wet or dry. Wet sand grips better. For scale, the tire upgrades add +0.08 and +0.16 grip on every surface, so stage 2 tires make up for rain everywhere except bricks, logs, metal, quicksand and wood planks.
Canada 21 weathers
By the animal rules it is dry 66% of the time, wet 25% and stormy 9%. Aurora chance each night: Emerald Lake 15%, Gimli Ridge 15%, Asgard Mountain 15%.
Algeria 12 weathers
By the animal rules it is dry 90% of the time, wet 4% and stormy 6%.
| Weather | Shareof the time | Animalsif not all | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mostly Clear | 19% | – | Clear 25%, Cirrus Clouds 25%, Contrails 25%, Partly Cloudy 25% |
| Cirrus Clouds | 13% | – | Clear 25%, Mostly Clear 25%, Contrails 25%, Partly Cloudy 25% |
| Clear | 13% | – | Mostly Clear 33%, Cirrus Clouds 33%, Contrails 33% |
| Partly Cloudy | 13% | – | Mostly Clear 33%, Mixed Clouds 33%, Mostly Cloudy 33% |
| Contrails | 12% | – | Clear 33%, Mostly Clear 33%, Cirrus Clouds 33% |
| Mixed Clouds | 7% | – | Mostly Clear 33%, Partly Cloudy 33%, Dust Storm 33% |
| Mostly Cloudy | 7% | – | Partly Cloudy 22%, Mixed Clouds 22%, Overcast 22%, Dust Storm 22%, Light Precipitation 11% |
| Dust Storm | 6% | None | Mixed Clouds 25%, Mostly Cloudy 25%, Sand Storm 25%, Receding Storm 25% |
| Overcast | 3% | – | Mostly Cloudy 40%, Dust Storm 40%, Light Precipitation 20% |
| Receding Storm | 3% | Some | Clear 25%, Mostly Clear 25%, Partly Cloudy 25%, Overcast 25% |
| Sand Storm | 1% | – | Dust Storm 50%, Receding Storm 50% |
| Light Precipitation | 1% | Some | Mostly Cloudy 33%, Overcast 33%, Receding Storm 33% |
Common questions
How long is a day in over the hill?
About 73 minutes of real time. One real second is a third of a game minute.
How often does the weather change in over the hill?
Every 1 to 4 game hours, which is about 3 to 12 real minutes. Each weather can only change into a few others, listed in the tables.
How do I clear bad weather?
Use the Cloud Clearing Bell. It sets the weather to clear at once and is not used up if it is already clear.
Does rain change how my vehicle drives?
Only through grip. Rain, deep water and snow make your vehicle wet, and a wet vehicle loses a little grip on most ground (planks, bricks, metal, logs and quicksand lose the most) but gains a little on sand. Wind and storms do nothing else.
Can I see the northern lights?
Yes, in Canada. Each night has a 15% chance of an aurora. Algeria has none.