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The weather plays an important role inPokemon Sword & Shield, with some Pokemon only spawning in during certain weather conditions. The games feature nine types of weather in total, although players will only be able to experience six of thesewhen they first set out on theirPokemonadventure.
Pokemon Sword & Shieldplayers who are hoping to complete the Galar Pokedex without trading will need to pay close attention to weather conditions and take advantage of rare weather types. Thankfully, they can use a simple little trick to change the weather whenever they like, which can make life a lot easier.
How to Change the Weather in Pokemon Sword & Shield (All Weather Dates)
In order to change the weather inPokemon Sword & Shield, players will need tochange the date on their Nintendo Switch. This is because the weather in the Wild Area, Isle of Armor, and Crown Tundra is determined by the date on the in-game clock, so by using the ones shown in the table below, players can change the weather to any type they like. It’s worth noting that changing the date will reset the event clock, meaning that those who do so will need to wait 24 hours forMax Raid Battlesto reset. However, for anyone hoping to find elusive weather-specific Pokemon, changing the date is arguably the most time-efficient tactic.
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Jul 02, 2025
Players will need to defeat three of thegym leaders inPokemon Sword & Shieldand also reach Hammerlocke to unlock the Blizzard and Sandstorm weather types, while Fog will only become available once they’ve become Champion. It’s also worth noting that certain weather types like Sandstorm are unavailable in the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra areas.
How to Change the Date and Time on a Nintendo Switch
Most players should already be pretty familiar with the process forchanging the date or time on a Nintendo Switch. However, for those having trouble, the following step-by-step instructions should help.
All Weather-Specific Pokemon in Pokemon Sword & Shield (Wild Area)
Most of thePokemon that can be found in the Wild Areaare pretty easy to come by. However, there are 98 Pokemon that will only show up during a certain type of weather. The following table provides details of all of the weather-specific Pokemon that can be caught in the Wild Area, with information about the weather type that’s needed to make them spawn in and the date that the player will need to change their console’s internal clock to in order to get that weather type in the Wild Area.
