Weather symbols and meanings

At-a-glance weather icons

Weather apps and forecasts use simple icons to convey conditions quickly. Here are common symbols and what they mean.

Common symbols

• ☀️ - Sunny / clear
• 🌤️ - Mostly sunny / partly cloudy
• ☁️ - Cloudy
• 🌧️ - Rain
• ⛈️ - Thunderstorms
• ❄️ - Snow / wintry
• 🌫️ - Fog / mist
• 🌪️ - Tornado / severe

Symbol table (copy-paste)

☀  - Sun / Clear ☁  - Cloud ☂  - Umbrella / Rain ❄  - Snowflake / Snow ⚡ - Lightning / Thunderstorm 🌫 - Fog / Mist 🌪 - Tornado / Severe wind

How to read forecast icons

Icons often pair with probability of precipitation (PoP) or temperature. A sun with a small cloud means partly sunny; a cloud with raindrops indicates showers; a cloud with ❄️ implies snow or mixed precipitation.

Accessibility tip

Always include text labels for weather icons when publishing — screen readers need textual descriptions (e.g., "Partly cloudy, 18°C").

Internal links

See our copy-paste weather symbol collection: Weather Symbols Copy Paste