Weather idioms provide colorful expressions to describe different weather conditions and emotions. I share 40 weather idioms, giving meanings and examples to illustrate their usage.
You’ll find idioms for all seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—along with funny and short idioms. Additionally, there are idioms specific to rainy and snowy weather.
Each idiom is presented clearly with a short meaning and a simple example, making it easy to understand and remember.
Whether you’re learning English or expanding your vocabulary, these idioms will enrich your language skills and offer new ways to express yourself.
list of 30 idioms for weather
- It’s raining cats and dogs
- Under the weather
- Head in the clouds
- Weather the storm
- Break the ice
- Chase rainbows
- Fair-weather friend
- Storm in a teacup
- Spring in your step
- April showers bring May flowers
- Bloom where you’re planted
- Fresh as a daisy
- Hot under the collar
- Dog days of summer
- Make hay while the sun shines
- Sizzle like summer
- Turn over a new leaf
- Nip in the air
- Autumn years
- Harvest time
- Cold feet
- Snowed under
- Break the ice
- In the dead of winter
- Saving for a rainy day
- Rain on someone’s parade
- Take a rain check
- Right as rain
- Snowed in
- Snowball effect
- White as snow
- Blanket of snow
- Throw caution to the wind
- Every cloud has a silver lining
- Stormy relationship
- Weather-beaten
- Calm before the storm
- Brass monkey weather
- Cloud nine
- Lightning fast
Funny Idioms for Weather
1. It’s raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Heavy rain.
Example: Yesterday, it was raining cats and dogs.
2. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling ill.
Example: I’m under the weather today.
3. Head in the clouds
Meaning: Daydreaming.
Example: He always has his head in the clouds.
4. Weather the storm
Meaning: Endure difficulties.
Example: We must weather the storm together.
Short Idioms for Weather
5. Break the ice
Meaning: Initiate conversation.
Example: Let’s break the ice at the party.
6. Chase rainbows
Meaning: Pursue illusions.
Example: Don’t chase rainbows, stay realistic.
7. Fair-weather friend
Meaning: Supportive only in good times.
Example: He’s a fair-weather friend.
8. Storm in a teacup
Meaning: Exaggerate a minor issue.
Example: That argument was a storm in a teacup.
Best Idioms for Weather
Spring Weather
9. Spring in your step
Meaning: Energetic.
Example: She has a spring in her step today.
10. April showers bring May flowers
Meaning: Difficulties lead to better times.
Example: Remember, April showers bring May flowers.
11. Bloom where you’re planted
Meaning: Thrive in your environment.
Example: She decided to bloom where she’s planted.
12. Fresh as a daisy
Meaning: Very fresh.
Example: After a nap, I feel fresh as a daisy.
Summer Weather
13. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Angry.
Example: He got hot under the collar during the debate.
14. Dog days of summer
Meaning: Hottest days of summer.
Example: We’re in the dog days of summer.
15. Make hay while the sun shines
Meaning: Take advantage of opportunities.
Example: Make hay while the sun shines and finish your work.
16. Sizzle like summer
Meaning: Extremely hot.
Example: It’s sizzling like summer outside.
Autumn Weather
17. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: Start fresh.
Example: It’s time to turn over a new leaf.
18. Nip in the air
Meaning: Cold weather.
Example: There’s a nip in the air this morning.
19. Autumn years
Meaning: Later stages of life.
Example: He enjoys his autumn years.
20. Harvest time
Meaning: Time to reap benefits.
Example: It’s harvest time for all your hard work.
Winter Weather
21. Cold feet
Meaning: Hesitation.
Example: She got cold feet before the wedding.
22. Snowed under
Meaning: Overwhelmed with work.
Example: I’m snowed under with assignments.
23. Break the ice
Meaning: Initiate conversation.
Example: He broke the ice with a joke.
24. In the dead of winter
Meaning: Middle of winter.
Example: We met in the dead of winter.
Idioms for Rainy Weather
25. Saving for a rainy day
Meaning: Saving for future difficulties.
Example: Save some money for a rainy day.
26. Rain on someone’s parade
Meaning: Spoil plans.
Example: Don’t rain on her parade.
27. Take a rain check
Meaning: Postpone.
Example: I’ll take a rain check on dinner.
28. Right as rain
Meaning: Perfectly fine.
Example: After a rest, I felt right as rain.
Idioms for Snow Weather
29. Snowed in
Meaning: Trapped by snow.
Example: We were snowed in for two days.
30. Snowball effect
Meaning: Growing rapidly.
Example: The project gained a snowball effect.
31. White as snow
Meaning: Very white.
Example: Her dress was white as snow.
32. Blanket of snow
Meaning: Layer of snow.
Example: The garden was covered in a blanket of snow.
Weather Idioms
33. Throw caution to the wind
Meaning: Take a risk.
Example: She threw caution to the wind and invested.
34. Every cloud has a silver lining
Meaning: Positivity in bad situations.
Example: Remember, every cloud has a silver lining.
35. Stormy relationship
Meaning: Troubled relationship.
Example: They had a stormy relationship.
36. Weather-beaten
Meaning: Worn by weather.
Example: The house looks weather-beaten.
37. Calm before the storm
Meaning: Peace before chaos.
Example: It was the calm before the storm at the office.
38. Brass monkey weather
Meaning: Very cold weather.
Example: It’s brass monkey weather outside.
39. Cloud nine
Meaning: Extremely happy.
Example: She’s on cloud nine after the promotion.
40. Lightning fast
Meaning: Very quick.
Example: He completed the task lightning fast.
1. How do weather idioms enhance language?
Weather idioms enrich language by providing vivid expressions that convey specific emotions, situations and nature. They make communication more engaging and colorful.
2. What are some common idioms for rainy weather?
Common idioms examples for rainy weather include “saving for a rainy day,” “rain on someone’s parade,” “take a rain check,” and “right as rain.” Each idiom offers a unique way to describe situations related to rain.
3. How can weather idioms be used in everyday conversations?
Weather idioms can be seamlessly integrated into daily conversations to express feelings, describe situations, or add humor. For instance, saying “it’s raining cats and dogs” instantly conveys the image of heavy rain.
