diff --git a/scripts/weather.lua b/scripts/weather.lua
index 2cbb05fa8..a61ab48bd 100644
--- a/scripts/weather.lua
+++ b/scripts/weather.lua
@@ -9,26 +9,37 @@ Prints a map of the local weather, or with arguments ``clear``,
 =end]]
 
 local args = {...}
-if args[1] == "help" or args[1] == "?" then
+local cmd
+local val_override = tonumber(args[1])
+if args[1] then
+    cmd = args[1]:sub(1, 1)
+end
+if cmd == "h" or cmd == "?" then
     print("The current weather is "..df.weather_type[dfhack.world.ReadCurrentWeather()])
     print((helpstr:gsub('=[a-z]+', '')))
-elseif args[1] == "clear" then
-    dfhack.world.SetCurrentWeather(df.weather_type["None"])
+elseif cmd == "c" then
+    dfhack.world.SetCurrentWeather(df.weather_type.None)
     print("The weather has cleared.")
-elseif args[1] == "rain" then
-    dfhack.world.SetCurrentWeather(df.weather_type["Rain"])
+elseif cmd == "r" then
+    dfhack.world.SetCurrentWeather(df.weather_type.Rain)
     print("It is now raining.")
-elseif args[1] == "snow" then
-    dfhack.world.SetCurrentWeather(df.weather_type["Snow"])
+elseif cmd == "s" then
+    dfhack.world.SetCurrentWeather(df.weather_type.Snow)
     print("It is now snowing.")
+elseif val_override then
+    dfhack.world.SetCurrentWeather(val_override)
+    print("Set weather to " .. val_override)
+elseif args[1] then
+    qerror("Unrecognized argument: " .. args[1])
 else
     -- df.global.current_weather is arranged in columns, not rows
-    kind = {[0]="C ", "R ", "S "}
+    kind = {[0]="C", "R", "S"}
     print("Weather map (C = clear, R = rain, S = snow):")
     for y=0, 4 do
         s = ""
         for x=0, 4 do
-            s = s..kind[df.global.current_weather[x][y]]
+            local cur = df.global.current_weather[x][y]
+            s = s .. (kind[cur] or cur) .. ' '
         end
         print(s)
     end