noun
showery sky; looking like rain
Describes the appearance of the sky when it looks like a passing shower (時雨) is about to fall, often in late autumn or winter.
空は時雨模様で、今にも降り出しそうだ。
The sky looks showery; it seems about to start raining any moment.
時雨 refers to the late-autumn or early-winter shower itself, while 時雨模様 describes the sky's appearance suggesting such a shower.
Compound of 時雨 (しぐれ, 'drizzle' or 'late-autumn shower') and 模様 (もよう, 'pattern' or 'appearance').