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Weather Card

The Weather Card shows a status as a little weather scene - a bright sun for healthy, clouds for at risk, a storm for critical - so health reads with a glance and a smile. It is built with a standard Microsoft List and a small piece of column-formatting JSON applied to a choice column. Each status maps to a weather icon and a matching colored card, with the word kept underneath.
Author
SharePoint Maven
Built with
Features
Choice Column, JSON, Single Line of Text Column
Category
Formatting

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Overview

  • Shows a status as a weather scene on a colored card
  • Sun for healthy, clouds for at risk, a storm for critical
  • Keeps the status word under the icon for a clear read
  • Maps each status value to an icon and color in the JSON
  • A memorable, friendly way to show health on a list
  • Applied as column-formatting JSON on a choice column, so it changes nothing about the underlying data

Common Use Cases

  • Service or system health on an operations list
  • Project or program outlook
  • Account or customer health
  • Risk or readiness status
  • Site or store condition
  • Any status you want shown as a weather scene

Details

  • Design Pattern: Cards & Tiles
  • Format Scope: Column

Required Columns

Display nameColumn typeInternal name
ServiceSingle line of text[Title]
OutlookChoice[Outlook]

Prerequisites

  1. Build a list with a choice column for the status before you paste the JSON.
  2. Then populate the list with status values.
  3. The JSON keys off specific words (Healthy, At risk, Critical); use these exact words in your choice column or edit the words in the JSON to match yours.
  4. Apply the formatting to the status column.
  5. The card uses a compact layout so the icons and labels stay readable without merging adjacent rows.

How to Apply JSON code

  1. On the Outlook column, open the column header menu, choose Column settings, then Format this column.
  2. Switch to Advanced mode.
  3. Paste the JSON below and click Save.

JSON Code

{
  "$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
  "elmType": "div",
  "style": {
    "display": "inline-flex",
    "flex-direction": "column",
    "align-items": "center",
    "width": "56px",
    "padding": "2px 2px",
    "margin": "4px 0",
    "border-radius": "8px",
    "color": "#ffffff",
    "background-color": "=if(@currentField == 'Healthy', '#2f9bd6', if(@currentField == 'At risk', '#7c8794', if(@currentField == 'Critical', '#374151', '#94a3b8')))"
  },
  "children": [
    {
      "elmType": "span",
      "txtContent": "=if(@currentField == 'Healthy', '☀️', if(@currentField == 'At risk', '⛅', if(@currentField == 'Critical', '⛈️', '🌡️')))",
      "style": {
        "font-size": "26px",
        "line-height": "1"
      }
    },
    {
      "elmType": "span",
      "txtContent": "@currentField",
      "style": {
        "font-size": "11px",
        "font-weight": "700",
        "line-height": "1.2",
        "letter-spacing": "0.4px",
        "text-shadow": "0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,0.35)",
        "margin-top": "0"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Common Questions About the Weather Card

What is the Weather Card built with?

It is built with a standard Microsoft List (SharePoint list) and a small piece of column-formatting JSON. There is no custom development, no SPFx solution, and no third-party tools. It is the kind of clean, maintainable formatting Greg Zelfond builds for teams that want a status column that reads as a weather scene without ongoing development overhead.

What columns does it need?

It needs one Choice column holding the status, where the JSON is applied, plus any label column such as the service name. The scene is chosen from that value.

Does this design use any custom development or third-party tools?

No. It uses only out-of-the-box SharePoint column formatting, which Microsoft supports natively. That keeps it stable and easy to maintain, and nothing breaks when SharePoint is updated. Out-of-the-box is the only way Greg builds, so you can own and extend the design yourself for years.

If LookBook 365 is code-free and out-of-the-box, why does this example include JSON?

Because SharePoint formatting JSON is not custom code – it is a native configuration feature built into lists and libraries. It is declarative: it only describes how an existing column looks, and cannot run scripts, reach external services, or change your data. Nothing is deployed and nothing breaks when Microsoft updates SharePoint, and you can edit or remove it anytime. That is why LookBook 365 treats it as out-of-the-box and low risk.

Can I change the words or scenes?

Yes. The status words, the weather icons, and the card colors are set in the JSON. Swap them to match your own labels, and anything unmatched shows a neutral scene.

Can Greg build a design like this for our lists?

Yes – this is exactly the kind of work Greg Zelfond does. As an independent SharePoint consultant and Microsoft MVP, he designs out-of-the-box list and library formatting like this so your team can read and maintain it without a developer. Reach out through the contact page to talk about your lists.