Purpose

The Weather Report Retrospective is a quick mood check-in where each team member describes the sprint using a weather metaphor: sunny, cloudy, rainy, stormy, or anything in between. It provides an instant emotional snapshot of the team and works best as a warm-up activity or a lightweight standalone check-in.

At a glance

• Group size: 3–20 people
• Duration: 5 minutes
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Facilitation style: Structured
• Setting: Both / Remote-friendly

How to run

1. Ask each person to choose a weather type that represents how they feel about the sprint.
2. Go around the room or chat: each person shares their weather and optionally one sentence of context (3 minutes).
3. Note any patterns (mostly stormy? mostly sunny?) and decide whether to explore further (2 minutes).

Materials needed

• Optional: weather icon cards or digital weather emojis
• Whiteboard for quick tally
• Timer

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Over-analyzing the weather choices — keep it lightweight.
• Using it as the entire retrospective when deeper discussion is needed.
• Forcing explanations when someone just wants to share the weather symbol.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Weather metaphors are universally understood across cultures.
• Allow participants to draw their weather or use emojis if verbal sharing feels uncomfortable.
• Works well for very large groups due to its speed.

Variations

• Weather Forecast: instead of current weather, predict next sprint's weather.
• Weather Map: plot everyone's weather on a shared map for visual impact.
• Detailed Weather: add temperature (energy level) and wind (pace of work).

When NOT to use this

• When the team needs substantive discussion or action planning.
• When used repeatedly without any follow-up deeper format.

Source & further reading

• Common facilitation check-in technique.
• Retromat (retromat.org).