Weather Report Retrospective Template (Free)

What is the Weather Report Retrospective?

The Weather Report Retrospective asks each person to describe the last sprint or work period as weather. Calling a week stormy is easier than saying it went badly, so people share how things felt as well as what happened, and hard topics come up without anyone sounding confrontational. The board has four areas. Stormy is for turbulent, high-impact problems like outages or conflict. Rainy covers interruptions that slowed the team down but were worth it, such as training or a migration. Cloudy is for uncertainty that could go either way, and Sunny is for what clearly went well. The Rainy column is what sets this format apart: it gives the team a place for disruptive work that paid off, which a plain good-and-bad split tends to lose. If you run it every few sprints, the weather pattern also shows how team mood is trending.

Weather Report retrospective format

Stormy Turbulent: Ask people to share the situations or conflicts that caused turbulence this sprint. Look for the root cause of each storm and talk about how the team could handle the next one better.
Rainy Interruptive: Rain is disruptive but often necessary. Ask about situations that slowed the team down but led to learning or better work later, so the team can see which disruptions were worth it.
Cloudy Promising: Clouds are uncertain situations that could turn out well or badly. Ask what information or action would clear the sky, and who could get it.
Sunny Cheerful: Celebrate what went well. Ask what made each bright spot happen, so the team knows how to get more of them.

When to use this retrospective

When you want people to talk about how the work felt, not only what happened
During a period of change or uncertainty, to check how the team is coping
With teams that find direct feedback hard, since a weather word is an easier way in
When the usual format has gone stale and you want a quick read on team morale

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

Ask each person why they picked a particular kind of weather; the reason is where the conversation is
Follow up with "what would improve the weather here?" to move from feelings to actions
Track the weather over several retrospectives to spot trends in team mood
Let people use more than one kind of weather when a situation was mixed
Accept every weather report without judgment, so people keep reporting honestly
Use the metaphor for the wider organizational climate too, not only the team's own work

Frequently asked questions

What is a Weather Report retrospective?

It's a retrospective format where your team describes a sprint as weather. Notes go into four areas: Stormy for turbulent problems, Rainy for disruptions that were worth it, Cloudy for uncertainty and Sunny for what went well.

When should a team use a Weather Report retrospective?

Use it after a period of mixed or uncertain conditions, such as new processes, shifting priorities or team changes, when you want a quick read on mood before getting into specifics.

What do the Stormy, Rainy, Cloudy, and Sunny columns mean?

Stormy is for turbulent, high-impact issues. Rainy covers interruptions that slowed you down but were worth it. Cloudy flags uncertainty that could go either way, and Sunny is for what's clearly working.

How long does a Weather Report retrospective take?

Plan for 45 to 60 minutes with a small team. Spend most of the discussion on Stormy and Cloudy, where the actions usually come from.

What is the Weather Report Retrospective?

Weather Report retrospective format

Stormy

Rainy

Cloudy

Sunny

When to use this retrospective

Suggested icebreaker questions

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

Frequently asked questions

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