Short answer: On Windows, hold Alt and type 9728 for ☀, 9729 for ☁, 10052 for ❄ or 9889 for ⚡ on the numeric keypad. In Word, type the hex (2600 for ☀) and press Alt + X. On a Mac or phone, copy the symbol you need from the tool below.
Tap to copy a weather symbol
Weather symbols — sun ☀, cloud ☁, umbrella ☂, snowman ☃, snowflake ❄, lightning ⚡ — are handy for forecasts, planners, bullet journals, captions and profiles. These are the text versions: single monochrome characters that look the same on every device, unlike the colourful weather emoji. Here’s how to type them on every platform, and when you’ll need an emoji instead. This is part of the Stars & Hearts hub.
Quick reference
| Symbol | Name | Windows | Word (Alt+X) | HTML | Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀ | Sun (with rays) | Alt + 9728 | 2600 | ☀ | U+2600 |
| ☁ | Cloud | Alt + 9729 | 2601 | ☁ | U+2601 |
| ☂ | Umbrella | Alt + 9730 | 2602 | ☂ | U+2602 |
| ☔ | Umbrella + rain | Alt + 9748 | 2614 | ☔ | U+2614 |
| ☃ | Snowman | Alt + 9731 | 2603 | ☃ | U+2603 |
| ❄ | Snowflake | Alt + 10052 | 2744 | ❄ | U+2744 |
| ⚡ | Lightning | Alt + 9889 | 26A1 | ⚡ | U+26A1 |
| ☼ | Sun (outline) | Alt + 15 | 263C | ☼ | U+263C |
Windows
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type the code on the numeric keypad (not the top-row numbers). Most weather symbols use their Unicode decimal value — Alt + 9728 ☀, 9729 ☁, 9731 ☃, 10052 ❄, 9889 ⚡. The outline sun ☼ has the short legacy code Alt + 15.
No numeric keypad? Press Win + . to open the emoji and symbols panel and type weather, sun or snow to filter. If a code returns the wrong character, you’re on the number row — see why Alt codes don’t work.
Mac
macOS has no dedicated Option shortcut for weather symbols. Two routes:
- Character Viewer: press Control + Command + Space, search sun, cloud, snow or lightning, and double-click to insert.
- Unicode Hex Input: with that source enabled, hold Option and type the four-digit hex — Option + 2600 gives ☀.
iPhone and Android
The default keyboards don’t include the plain text weather symbols. Copy them from the tool above, or use the emoji keyboard for the weather emoji (☀️ ⛅ 🌧️ ⛈️ ❄️ ⚡). Note that on phones a text symbol like ☀ often renders as the colour emoji automatically (see the next section). For repeat use, save a text replacement (iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement; Android: Personal dictionary).
Word and Google Docs
Microsoft Word: type the hex and press Alt + X — 2600 → ☀, 2601 → ☁, 2744 → ❄, 26A1 → ⚡, 2603 → ☃. You’ll also find them under Insert → Symbol → More Symbols in the Miscellaneous Symbols block.
Google Docs: go to Insert → Special characters and search weather, sun, cloud or snowflake.
Chromebook
Press Ctrl + Shift + U, release, type the hex (2600 for ☀), then Enter. Or open the emoji/symbol picker with Launcher + Shift + Space and search weather.
Linux
In most GTK/IBus apps, press Ctrl + Shift + U, type the hex (2600, 2601, 2744…), then Enter or Space to commit it. If that shortcut isn’t enabled, open the Characters / gucharmap app and search the symbol name. Weather symbols have no Compose-key sequence, so the Unicode-entry method is the reliable one.
HTML, CSS and code
Weather symbols use numeric HTML entities — ☀ ☀, ☁ ☁, ☃ ☃, ❄ ❄, ⚡ ⚡ (there aren’t standard named entities for them). In CSS use the escaped point, e.g. content:"\2600"; in JavaScript use "\u2600". Most weather symbols sit in the Miscellaneous Symbols block around U+2600, with the snowflake in Dingbats at U+2744 and lightning at U+26A1. For temperatures, pair them with the degree sign — see the degree symbol.
Text symbols vs weather emoji
This is the distinction that matters most here:
- Text symbols (☀ ☁ ❄ ⚡) are single monochrome characters. They render in your text colour and look the same on every device, which makes them ideal for documents, tables and clean typography.
- Weather emoji (☀️ 🌧️ ⛈️ 🌨️) are colourful and look different on iPhone, Android and Windows. Great for a casual, vivid feel; less predictable in formal use.
- Some weather concepts exist only as emoji. There’s no monochrome text version of the rainbow 🌈, thermometer 🌡️, tornado 🌪️ or sun behind rain cloud 🌦️ — if you need those, you have to use the emoji.
- The same character can go either way. ☀ (U+2600) can display as a black text sun or, when a device applies emoji styling (often via a hidden variation selector), as the colour emoji ☀️. On phones the emoji version tends to win. To force the flat text form, use it in a plain-text context, or delete any trailing variation selector.
Related: ☀ is the black sun with rays (U+2600); ☼ is the lighter white sun with rays (U+263C) — solid versus outline, not a colour difference.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Alt + 9728 does nothing | Num Lock off, or you used the top-row numbers. Use the numeric keypad. |
| Laptop has no numpad | Use Win + . (search weather), Word’s 2600 + Alt + X, or copy from above. |
| ☀ shows as a colour emoji | The device applied emoji styling. Use it in a plain-text field for the flat version, or accept the emoji — it’s the same character. |
| I can’t find a rainbow text symbol | There isn’t one — 🌈 exists only as an emoji. Same for the thermometer 🌡️ and tornado 🌪️. |
| Symbol shows as a box ▯ | The font lacks the glyph. Switch to Segoe UI Symbol, Arial or a similar font. More: symbol showing as a box. |
Frequently asked questions
How do you type weather symbols like ☀ and ☁ on Windows?
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type the code on the numeric keypad: 9728 for ☀, 9729 for ☁, 9731 for ☃, 10052 for ❄ or 9889 for ⚡. In Word you can instead type the hex (2600 for ☀) and press Alt + X.
How do you type weather symbols on a Mac?
There’s no dedicated Option shortcut. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “sun”, “cloud” or “snow”, and double-click the symbol. With Unicode Hex Input enabled, you can also hold Option and type the four-digit hex, such as Option + 2600 for ☀.
What is the difference between weather text symbols and weather emoji?
Text symbols like ☀ ☁ ❄ are single monochrome characters that look the same on every device, which suits documents and clean typography. Weather emoji like ☀️ 🌧️ are colourful and look different across iPhone, Android and Windows.
Why does ☀ show up as a coloured emoji instead of a black symbol?
The device applied emoji styling to the character, often through a hidden variation selector — common on phones. It’s the same character; to get the flat black version, use it in a plain-text field or remove any trailing variation selector.
Is there a rainbow or thermometer text symbol?
No. The rainbow 🌈, thermometer 🌡️, tornado 🌪️ and sun-behind-rain-cloud 🌦️ exist only as emoji, so there’s no monochrome text version — you have to use the emoji for those.
What are the Unicode code points and HTML entities for weather symbols?
☀ is U+2600 (☀), ☁ is U+2601 (☁), ☃ is U+2603 (☃), ❄ is U+2744 (❄) and ⚡ is U+26A1 (⚡).
Recap
- ☀ ☁ ❄ ⚡ → Windows Alt + 9728 / 9729 / 10052 / 9889; Word hex + Alt + X.
- Mac / phone → Character Viewer, or copy from the tool above.
- Text vs emoji → text symbols are monochrome and consistent; emoji are colourful and vary.
- Rainbow, thermometer, tornado → emoji only.
Written by Igor R.. Tested on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Linux, Word and Google Docs. Last updated July 2026. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.