What is a Weather Forecast Retrospective?

The Weather Forecast Retrospective uses a simple weather metaphor to help a team reflect on how the last sprint actually felt. Cards are sorted from Stormy to Sunny, turning mood and momentum into something easy to see and talk about. The QRetro template gives you four columns that move from rough conditions to clear skies.

Stormy — things that went badly and caused real pain.
Rainy — frustrations and recurring annoyances.
Cloudy — uncertain or mixed experiences.
Sunny — wins and bright spots worth celebrating.

Stormy

Stormy captures the worst moments of the sprint — blockers, failures or conflicts that hurt the team. Naming them openly is the first step to making sure they do not repeat.

Rainy

Rainy is for the steady drizzle of friction: small but recurring annoyances that drag morale down over time. Grouping them often reveals a pattern worth fixing.

Cloudy

Cloudy holds the in-between — things that were unclear, uncertain or could go either way. These cards often spark the most useful discussion about what to watch next.

Sunny

Sunny is where the team celebrates what went well. Recognizing wins keeps energy high and reminds everyone which habits are worth keeping.

Benefits of the Weather Forecast Retrospective

Makes team mood visible through an intuitive metaphor.
Invites honest sharing in a light, low-pressure format.
Balances problems with recognition of what worked.
Reveals patterns across the spectrum of experiences.
Engages even quieter team members.
Leads naturally to concrete improvement actions.

How to run a Weather Forecast Retrospective

Create a board in QRetro using the Weather Forecast Retrospective template.
Ask everyone to add cards to the column matching how each moment felt.
Give the team a few quiet minutes to write before sharing.
Group similar cards and discuss the Stormy and Rainy clusters first.
Celebrate the Sunny column and note habits to keep.
Turn the key insights into action items with owners.