Change is constant. Very few things in this world exist in static form, unbending to progress. Time is certainly such a construct. Ever moving, leaving change in its wake. The Sims 3 celebrates this change, as Sims are born, are defined by their experiences—those they create and those that happen through no fault of their own, and then pass on, leaving a narrative behind worth remembering.

Seasons enhances the narrative of your Sims and your town through the introduction of, well, seasons. But seasons here are not just about changing weather and falling leaves, although those things are very much big features in this expansion. The course of a year, and all of the changes that brings, are elevated by the arrival of and the fun that comes with each of the four seasons. The hopeful wildflowers of spring. The laughter of a summer day livest to its fullest. The reflection inspired by autumn’s transformation. And, ultimately, the cold nights of winter where warmth is found not just in a roaring fire, but in hearts of those we love.

In this chapter, we go through each of the four seasons, discussing not only what’s different about each, such as the unique activities available only during particular times of the year, but also what unites them. For example, every season hosts a festival that acts as a central social hub, full of fun activities. Every season sees a change in the weather, which can also affect what activities Sims can engage in on any given day.

We’ll first concentrate on some core concepts you need to know about all seasons, such as temperature and weather, and how those affect daily lives. Then, we’ll start looking at spring, the season of renewal, and take it all the way to the end of the of winter, which offers so many options for merriment.

Temperature & Weather

As the seasons change, so does the weather and the temperature. Weather unfolds as expected, with showers in the spring, heavier rain in the fall, and snow in the winter. The change in weather affects the temperature. Sims are more sensitive to the temperature than you might expect, though, so be sure to read through this section to understand how the change in seasons can affect their lives.

Weather

The change in temperature and seasons also affects the weather. Now, Sims will experience rain, snow, fog, lightning, and more as the year progresses. These new weather patterns have many effects on the daily lives of Sims, such as influencing behavior, opening up new activities (making snowmen, etc.), and even causing potential risk to life and limb.

Check out the effects of weather, such as snow, in Map View!

Though certain weather patterns occur during particular seasons, such as snow in winter, there are occasions when weather is as unpredictable in your Sim city as it is in our own changing world. You may experience snow in-game during late fall or early spring.

Clouds can be an early indicator of changing weather. Rain is typically preceded by the gathering of clouds. Clouds remain heavy in the sky during the course of rain (as well as hail and snow). However, the presence of clouds does not necessarily mean that precipitation is imminent. Sometime the sky just turns overcast—and stays that way.

Rain

Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head...

Though rain typically occurs during spring and fall, precipitation can occur any time of year—even a surprise shower during the summer. There are a few levels of rain, from a slight drizzle to driving rain that just seems to come down in buckets. Light rain is not really a big deal, but when rain gets quite heavy, Sims don’t necessary like being out in it. In fact, if they step outside, they are drenched and get the Soaked moodlet. This is a negative moodlet. The heavier the rain, the quicker the Soaked moodlet kicks in.

Thankfully, there are umbrellas in Buy Mode. Hop over and purchase an umbrella, then place it in your Sim’s personal inventory. When the Sim goes outside and it’s raining, they automatically pop open the umbrella to shield themselves from getting wet.

Rain leaves behind puddles all over town. Sims can splash in puddles or just walk around them. If you choose the Splash interaction on a puddle, your Sim will jump around in it, which provides a small amount of Fun. While you can direct your Sim to splash any puddle, Sims will only autonomously splash puddles on their own lots. You must actually direct them splash puddles around town.

During heavy rain, there is a chance that lightning may occur. You’ll see a flash in the distance and then hear the roll of thunder. Pretty exciting, right? Well, yeah—until it starts happening around town. Or worse, on your lot.

When lighting strikes the ground, it leaves behind a scorch mark. If it hits an outdoor object, it either breaks it or burns it. An outdoor toy or furniture, for example, will be reduced to cinders. Lightning strikes can start house fires, too. So during a storm, keep an eye on the house to make sure nothing bad happens.

Now, there is a chance—though small—that Sims will be struck by lightning. When lighting is about to strike, the Sim gets hyper-aware that something seriously wrong is about to happen. And that’s when they’re speared by lightning.

Sims holding an umbrella are more likely to be struck. If they are holding an umbrella when it happens, the umbrella is burned. A lightning strike gives the Sim the singed state, which includes the Singed moodlet. If a Singed Sim is hit by lightning, they are electrocuted and die.

Lucky Sims are less likely to be hit by lighting, while Unlucky Sims have a greater chance to be struck. Pregnant Sims are never struck by lightning, and neither are babies, toddlers, or children. Lighting does not strike pets or Sims who are currently riding a horse.

Hail

If there is a chance of precipitation and there’s a sudden cold snap, you will experience hail. If you think Sims don’t necessarily like rain, wait until you see them in a hail storm. Sims lift umbrellas to shield their heads and make for the nearest indoor area.

Hail does not leave behind puddles.

Snow

When temperatures plummet, the likelihood of snow increases. Though typically snow only occurs during winter, it can fall on cold days during spring or fall. When snow starts falling, you’ll see a light accumulation on the ground—a mere dusting. However, as snow keeps falling, and increases in intensity, snow will gradually accumulate until it’s a few feet deep. Snow accumulates on your roof, on the streets, and on top of anything outside. The freezing will also cause icicles to appear along the edges of rooftops.

When snow accumulates on the ground, Sims can go outside and play in it. And not just children. Adult Sims have fun walking outside and making snow angels, building snowmen, and having snowball fights. We’ll go over more of these activities in the “Winter” section of this chapter.

Sim Temperature

While the weather outside is easily determined by either checking the immediate conditions or rolling the mouse over the Season icon beneath your Sim portrait, there is a second, non-forward-facing feature that can greatly affect gameplay: Sim temperature. Sims have their own internal temperatures that determine comfort, encourage activities and socials, and can even affect health.

Imagine that Sims have an internal temperature scale that ranges from 0 to 200. Blissful comfort exists at the median, 100. Not that going a little bit in either direction just wrecks a day. Not at all. Sims don’t mind a bit of heat, and a little chilly weather isn’t going to inspire hopelessness. But as that temperature slides toward the extremes on either end of the scale, things can get pretty rough for a Sim. This internal temperature is broken into these seven ranges:

• Freezing
• Cold
• Chilly
• Neutral
• Warm
• Hot
• Burning Up

As a Sim moves up and down the range, moodlets reveal the internal temperature. For example, Getting Chilly and Getting Warm indicate that your Sim has moved off of neutral. No big deal. Warm and chilly are totally acceptable states. But they are indicators that your Sim could be on their way to discomfort or other unpleasantness. Sims who stay out in the cold too long can soon become Frostbitten, or even worse, Frozen Solid.

Whenever a Sim is indoors, their temperature starts moving back toward 100, or neutral. This is just a natural occurrence. In fact, it’s a reliable way to deal with changing temperatures. But as soon as they step back out into the elements, their temperature is affected by weather and external temperature. A spring or fall day will not adversely affect Sim temperature unless there is an unseasonable cold snap or heat wave. But in the height of summer or a heavy snow day in winter, those external temperatures will aggressively move the scale in their respective directions.

Have ice cream or a snow cone to bring down your Sim’s internal temperature!

Cold

As the temperature drops outside, Sims will experience chills of their own. Now, the new outwear clothing goes a long way to combat dropping temperatures. As long as Sims are outside in their outerwear, they will not fall victim to the extreme cold. They’ll still be cold, but at least they won’t freeze!

When a Sim is outside in the cold, their internal temperature drops. But real discomfort kicks in once snow starts falling or things get close to freezing outside. When you see Teeth Chattering, that’s a big indicator that your Sim is uncomfortable and needs a remedy from the cold, such as going inside or having a hot beverage.

If a Sim is out in extreme cold for an extended time, they will get frostbite. This is indicated by the Frostbitten moodlet, which is negative. Frostbitten Sims get a slight blue tint to their skin. It lasts for as long as your Sim remains outside, but as soon as they enter a house or building, the effects of frostbite start to be reversed. They may remain a little blue for a few minutes or so once they’ve passed through the front door, but it won’t take long for them to move back toward chilly and on their way to neutral.

Now if you remain in extreme cold without outerwear? Well, now you’re just asking for serious trouble. If a Sim is outside for an extended time with frostbite, that means they are soon going to freeze. After an hour or so, they become frozen solid. If this happens, the Sim collapses to the icy ground and cannot move. This is a very dangerous state to be in. If Hunger tanks out while a Sim is frozen solid, the Sim will freeze to death.

Frozen Sims can be thawed out by rising temperatures (the sun coming up, for example) or by other Sims. Another Sim can use Thaw on a frozen Sim and melt the ice away from their body, waking them up and returning a degree of warmth. Naturally, it’s good idea at this point to put on some outerwear and get inside. Thankfully, Sims around town are not cruel. Even if you have not met a neighbor yet, they will still walk over and thaw you out should they spot your frozen form.

Warm

When the sun comes out, Sims start moving away from neutral, too. Stepping out into the sun can cause the Getting Warm moodlet, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Warm is okay. But if they are outside in any clothing not swimwear or underwear, they can soon start Sweating Profusely, which tanks Hygiene and is unpleasant.

Wearing outerwear during a heat wave will drastically raise your Sim’s internal temperature. This is not a good thing.

Now, if a Sim strips down to swimwear or underwear in the heat, this stabilizes internal temperature. Yes, your Sim is still warm, but it’s not uncomfortable. At this point, the Sim starts to tan a little. The Suntanned moodlet indicates that they are becoming a little bronzed, which is also reflected in skin tone. Tans last for a little while before returning back to normal tone.

However, if a Sim remains outside in the sun, they will rocket past Suntanned and go into Sunburnt. This is a negative moodlet. Skin takes a reddish tone. Sunburns hurt. Because of the pain caused by contact with the skin, Sunburnt Sims will reject physical socials, like hugs. That’s no good, especially if the Sim is trying to pursue romance.

Finally, if a Sim stays in the hot sun for a few more hours while Sunburnt, well, Sims have been known to spontaneously combust. Seriously. Their body catches on fire. And it is very painful and very negative. This will just tank mood and make for a very miserable Sim. So, by all means, enjoy a little sun. But be reasonable about it!