Weather (game mechanic)

Weather is introduced in the The Sims 2: Seasons, The Sims 3: Seasons and The Sims 4: Seasons. There are four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. In The Sims 2: Seasons, each season is five days long, making a seasonal year twenty days long. In The Sims 3: Seasons, each season is seven days by default, though players can adjust each length of the season from 3 to 28 days. In The Sims 4: Seasons, each season is also seven days by default, and players can set the length of all seasons to be either 1 week, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks. Sims' moods will change with the weather. Each season has a slightly different color cast, (e.g., winter is more desaturated, and fall has warmer, reddish tone). Weather also affects what festival is occurring on the festival grounds.

In The Sims 2: Seasons, each neighborhood and sub-neighborhood has a separate season chooser, which allows the player to determine which seasons will occur there, and what order they will occur in. By default, a neighborhood will start in summer, followed by fall, winter, and then spring. Riverblossom Hills is exceptional, as it uses the order of winter, winter, spring, and fall.

In The Sims 3: Seasons, players can customize what seasons may occur in a neighborhood and how long each one lasts, but not in what order. The options can be changed in the environment options tab.

In The Sims 4: Seasons, the length of seasons chosen in the settings affects all seasons, and players can not choose what seasons may occur in a neighborhood and their order. When starting a new save, players can choose to start from one of the four seasons, and when done so, they will start going through to cycle of spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Weather also appears in The Sims 3 for Wii. The seasons work the same way and have the same characteristics as in real life. It is featured in The Urbz: Sims in the City, The Sims 2 for console, The Sims 2 Pets for console, and The Sims 2 Castaway for console. When it rains, Sims will put an umbrella or newspaper over their head.

Type of weather
There are several types of weather (also known as precipitation). It varies in intensity, accumulation, and duration. It can be predicted by checking the weather report from the TV, newspaper, or computer.
 * Sunny
 * Rain (Light, heavy, or torrential / thunderstorms)
 * Hail (Light or heavy)
 * Snow (Light, heavy or blizzards)
 * Fog
 * Cloudy
 * Unpredictable
 * Strange weather

Precipitation may affect Sims and their environment in various ways, and can also affect the temperature. For example, puddles can form when rain falls or snow or hail melt. Rain may water the garden plants and cause Sims to get soaked if they don't use an umbrella. Heavy hail can be damaging to Sims.

There's also wind with varied speed, which is only featured in The Sims 3: Seasons and The Sims 4: Seasons. In The Sims 4: StrangerVille, during the later stages of its story, the town of StrangerVille will have “strange weather”, overriding any other weather types no matter which season. This strange weather will be dark red in atmospheric tone, be constantly cloudy with numerous red spores in the air. It cannot be changed by the weather-controlling machine until the story is completed.

The Sims
The Sims does not feature weather. While lots on Vacation Island in The Sims: Vacation have differing climates, with some lots being snow-covered, there is never any precipitation, and conditions on those lots never vary. However, the Vacation Island lots introduced the notion of Sims dressing for the conditions, as well as the idea that wearing too much or too little for the conditions could have negative effects on them.

In The Sims: Makin' Magic, the Perfect Garden charm, and Extinguish ability will summon rain clouds, but only for the limited purposes of watering plants or extinguishing a fire. Also, if Rain of Riches backfires, it will create rain which will flood the lot, and will even leave puddles. This could be considered a precursor of precipitation as it appears in later games, though it has no effect on Sims, pets, or objects.

Spring
During the Spring, it may rain, or even snow a little, but will usually be sunny. Romance is in focus in Spring, and Sims can build romantic relationships at a higher rate than usual. Sims are able to splash in puddles, grow plants, harvest fruits, and so on. Some days may be cold enough for Sims to change into their outerwear, but it will be warmer than winter.


 * Environment changes
 * Temperature ranges from slightly low in the Comfortable zone to low in the Hot zone, and starts rising
 * Snow and frozen lakes melt
 * Light takes a greyish tone


 * Probable weather
 * Rain
 * Lightning


 * Spring activities
 * Sims can splash in puddles
 * Sims can begin gardening


 * Other changes
 * At the beginning of spring, it may be cold enough for Sims to dress in outerwear when going outside
 * Plants grow, but beware of the cold
 * Interactions with romantic partners are more potent, adding more relationship points than they do in other seasons

Summer
During the Summer, Sims build relationships more quickly. Sims can have water balloon fights or splash in the pool. There is a chance that an overheated Sim will develop heatstroke; a child, toddler, or baby Sim may be taken away by the Social Worker if this happens.


 * Environment changes
 * Temperature ranges from high in the Comfortable zone to high in the Very Hot zone, and tends to rise from day to day.
 * Light takes on a neutral tone
 * Night-time appears to be lighter


 * Probable weather
 * Rain
 * Lightning
 * Hail

(Sims can perform these activities in other seasons, too, but they often develop special wants to do them when summer begins.)
 * Summer activities
 * Sims have water balloon fights
 * Sims can go fishing
 * Sims can play Marco Polo in the pool


 * Other changes
 * Chance of heatstroke and sunburn
 * Sims develop friendly relationships faster

Autumn/Fall
During the fall, the temperature begins to drop and it may begin to snow or rain. During this time, Sims learn skills easier and faster than in other seasons, students in school do homework more quickly, and college students gain more class performance. Leaves begin to fall, and Sims are able to rake them. After raking them, Sims may jump into the pile of leaves and play with them or even burn the leaves. Sims also begin to change back into outerwear once outside at the middle end of Autumn. With this comes along a chance of catching a cold, but not freezing.


 * Environment changes
 * Temperature ranges from somewhat high in the Comfortable zone to high in the Cold zone, and begins to decrease
 * Light takes on a slightly golden tone
 * Night-time appears to be darker
 * Lakes may freeze
 * Trees become colored and leaves fall on ground


 * Probable weather
 * Rain
 * Snow is more possible than probable, but will occasionally happen.


 * Activities
 * Sims can rake the fallen leaves and play in them, burn them or compost them
 * Harvest crops


 * Other changes
 * Social Need decays 14-25% slower when Sims are outdoors
 * Chance of catching a cold increased
 * During cooler periods, Sims will dress in outerwear
 * Skill building is 25% faster

Winter
During the winter, Sims can build relationships with relatives and household members at a heightened rate. It may snow onto a residential lot, covering everything outside with snow. Sims are able to freeze or catch a cold if left out in the snow too long. A child, toddler, or baby Sim may be taken away by the Social Worker after they become too cold for too long, though the player will receive a warning before this happens. Sims are also able to have snowball fights, make snow angels, and build snowmen. Toddlers can also play in the snow and both toddlers and dogs can eat the snow. On some days, if the snow is too heavy, Sim children or teenagers that attend school may be able to have a "snow day". Outdoor flowers will become dormant during the Winter, but won't die. Garden plants will become dormant unless they are in a greenhouse. Orchard trees that are in a greenhouse may not become dormant immediately, but can still become dormant. As a rule, Sims will automatically change into seasonal wear, but this may not happen consistently.

For the Sims, winter is a time for family, fun in the snow, and the warm indoors.


 * Environment changes
 * Temperature ranges from low in the Comfortable zone to low in the Very Cold zone, and tends to drop from day to day
 * Light takes on a bluish tone
 * Night-time appears to be darker
 * Lakes freeze
 * Crops die


 * Probable weather
 * Snow


 * Winter activities
 * Sims can build snowmen
 * Sims can have snowball fights
 * Dogs and toddlers can eat snow
 * Toddlers can play in the snow
 * Sims can make snow angels


 * Other changes
 * Sims dress in winter wear outside
 * No plants outside will grow (orchard trees will become dormant)
 * Chance of catching a cold increases
 * Penguins can come to a lot, and they will likely talk to snowmen, even broken ones.
 * Sims can turn blue and freeze if they become too cold (hot chocolate and other warm things can alleviate this), which may be fatal.
 * When it's snowing heavily outside, there is a small chance of getting a snow day, which means children don't go to school. If this happens, they can still walk or be driven to school.

If a Sim's home doesn't have a roof it will start snowing inside! Sims will be affected by the cold temperature, if this happens.

Spring
Spring is the first season of the year, though it comes last in a game. Spring comes with a chance of rain and stormy days, although sunshine and occasional snow flurries can still occur. In spring, love is in the air, and Sims can use this time to improve on romance by doing thing such as writing love letters, sending gifts and confessing their love to other Sims.

During spring, Sims can play in the puddles, pick wildflowers or visit the activities in the Spring Festival. The Spring Festival will have objects dedicated to romance such as love tester machines, kissing booths and so on. Sims can also choose to take part in the egg hunt during Love Day, a holiday dedicated to love and romance.
 * Activities

Springtime generally remains temperate, not too hot nor too cold for Sims to be comfortable. Spring usually comes with plenty of showers, which will get Sims soaked, so it is advisable to obtain an umbrella (found in Buy Mode) to avoid the negative moodlet. Lightning is also frequent in Spring, so be careful with Sims when they are outdoors, especially if they have the unlucky trait.
 * Weather

During spring, there is a 25% chance to find wildflowers around the town. Wildflowers grow for 5 days before they wither and other plants grow there. Wildflowers can be sold for up to §600. Sims can pick these wildflowers, just like they can collect insects and metals. However, wildflowers can cause allergies, which gives the Sim a negative moodlet, so it is advisable to first go to the local hospital and get an allergy shot for §200.
 * Flowers and allergies

Summer
Summer is the default first season in The Sims 3: Seasons. It is generally quite hot, with temperatures likely soaring up to over a 100F (37C), which can cause Sims to get a tan, a heat stroke, or even to spontaneously combust. To prevent this, Sims should stay indoors, wear light clothing or buy a parasol.

If the Sim in question has obtained at least 10,000 Lifetime Happiness points, they can choose to spend them to obtain the new Immune to Heat lifetime reward, which prevents them from overheating.

Popular activities during summer days include swimming in the ocean, a new ability that comes if the game is patched, playing soccer, throwing a pool party or attending the Summer Festival. At the Festival, Sims can participate in many activities, such as face painting, using tanning booths, and entering hot dog eating contests. Summer's holiday is Leisure Day, during this day children don't have to attend school and adults don't have to attend work.
 * Activities

During summer, the weather will generally be quite hot, and most of the time it will be sunny, although rain and hail might also appear. If rain does happen, it is more likely than not to be a thunderstorm, so Sims may be struck by lightning.
 * Weather

Autumn/Fall
Fall is the third season of the year in The Sims 3: Seasons. Warm weather is common in fall, but rain and sometimes snow can also occur. During fall, temperatures will drop a bit but not plummet (yet), and trees will also change their color from green to red, yellow or orange. The autumn is also very unsettled, the weather will constantly shift from sunny weather to heavy rain and thunderstorms very quickly, making autumnal weather very unpredictable.

During fall, Sims can do a variety of events such as feast parties, costume parties, pumpkin carving and attending the Fall Festival included in this season. The festival for fall is Spooky Day, somewhat similar to Halloween in that Sims can dress up in costumes and trick or treat. In the Fall Festival, Sims can bob for apples, visit the haunted house or participate in the pie eating contest.
 * Activities

During fall, trees will start to shed their leaves. Sims can choose to rake these leaves and later play in them, burn them or if the leaf pile is big enough, Woohoo in them. If a Sim happens to WooHoo in a leaf pile and get pregnant, there is a very big chance the baby will be born with the Loves the Outdoors trait.

If Sims aren't kept warm enough, there is a chance that they will get a cold. Sims that get a cold will get a negative moodlet for a few days, and they can also choose to call in sick from work on their cell phone. Sims should stay indoors which will help the cold pass more quickly, or they can go to the hospital to get a shot (note: this is different from the shot you can get in Spring, and having one does not prevent you from having the other).
 * Getting a cold

Winter
Winter appears as the last season of the year (although it is the third season in the game). Winter is possibly the most beautiful time of the year, where if it snows, zooming out to Map View will reveal the entire neighborhood covered in a blanket of white.

In winter, temperatures will often plummet to below freezing (32F or 0C). Snow will happen quite often. During this time, Sims could freeze if they get too cold. If that happens, another Sim must thaw them out quickly or they will die. Sims should dress in outerwear, a new clothing category introduced in the expansion pack, to reduce the chances of that happening. However, if the Sim has 10,000 Lifetime Points to spare, they can use them to get the Immune to Cold Lifetime Reward, which will prevent the above from happening. If enough snow accumulates on the ground, it may be declared a Snow Day, where child and teen Sims will be excused from going to school.
 * Weather

Sims can do various activities in winter such as making igloos, making snowmen and snow angels. Sims can also go to the Winter Festival, where they can participate in snowboarding, ice skating, and snowball fights. Winter's holiday is Snowflake Day, which is similar to the many holidays celebrated during December, although it is conceived to be most like Christmas. To celebrate the holiday cheer, Sims can now hang holiday lights on their roofs, though this is not strictly limited to wintertime only. Sims can also kiss under the mistletoe, an object that can be found in Buy Mode.
 * Activities

An interesting little moodlet that Sims can get only during the winter is the Polar Bear Club moodlet, where if Sims swim in the cold waters long enough, they can obtain a moodlet which gives them a 5-hour immunity to the cold.

Spring
Spring is the first season of the year. Rain showers and thunderstorms are likely to occur in this season, as well as occasional snow falls alongside sunny days. The snow of last winter will melt away on the first day and trees along with bushes will start to regain their leaves. Roller skating rinks and food stands will also appear in various worlds. Love Day is the pre-made holiday for this season.

During spring, Sims can play in puddles created by the rain, be open to more outdoor activities due to warmer temperatures and enjoy the activities of Love Day. Love Day centers around love, encouraging Sims to do various romantic interactions, give flowers and go on dates. The spring season is also a great time for Sims to start/continue their gardening skill and career, as well develop their flower arranging skill.
 * Activities

The weather during spring generally consists of rainy and sunny days, with the temperatures usually staying in cool and cold levels, with probable warm temperatures later in the season. Umbrellas are necessary for Sims who do not want to get soaked. Sims with 500 aspiration points can also buy the "Waterproof" trait from the aspiration reward store, which will make them resist rain. Occasional snowy weather is also a possibility during early spring.
 * Weather

Summer
Summer is the second season of the year. Temperatures will rise, prompting Sims to change into warm weather wear. Heatwaves are very prominent in this season, which can kill unprepared Sims. Summer mostly consist of dominating sunny and cloudy weather, alongside occasional rain and thunderstorms. Water balloon buckets, roller skating rinks and lemonade stands will also appear throughout various worlds. Summer is the only season to not have a pre-made holiday.

During summer, Sims can swim in pools, have water balloon fights, play with sprinklers, use skating rinks and drink lemonade. Toddlers can also cool down in kiddie pools. Summer is another good season for Sims to grow their gardens in. Beekeeping is also another activity that Sims can do during summer.
 * Activities

The weather during summer will most of the time be very sunny and hot. Cloudy and rainy weather is also very probable, alongside thunderstorms, though not as commonly as in spring and fall. Heatwaves are also very common during summer. They produce heat hazes and can cause death by overheating to Sims who are not wearing the proper clothing. Sims with 500 aspiration points can buy the "Heat Acclimation" trait from the aspiration rewards store, which will make most of the hot effects of summer more enjoyable. The "Heatproof" trait will make Sims completely resisted against hot weather.
 * Weather

Autumn/Fall
Fall is the third season of the year. Leaves from various trees and bushes will start changing their color and the temperatures will begin to drop. Cloudy and rainy days are most prominent during fall, with occasional sunny days and thunderstorms in between. Snowfalls are also possible, but the snow will melt away after a short time. Harvestfest is the pre-made holiday for this season.

During fall, Sims can start raking leaves and later choose to either burn them or play in them. If the leaf pile is big enough, older Sims can also WooHoo in them. During heavy rainfalls, piles of mud will start appearing all over the neighborhood, allowing Sims to play in them or have mud fights with one another. Harvestfest centers around feasting and being thankful to each other. Sims can have a grand meal in the household and decorate their house with orange colors. Gnomes will also start appearing in the house and Sims can please them or anger them, with the consequences being either positive or negative to the household.
 * Activities

The weather during fall mostly consists of cool temperatures and heavy rainfalls. Later in the season temperatures will drop to cold, though warm days are still a possibility. Cloudy and windy days are more common then sunny, and rain is very prominent with occasional thunderstorms. Snowy weather is also a possibility during late fall and can happen very commonly, depending on the world.
 * Weather

Winter
Winter is the fourth and final season of the year. Snow will start forming around the neighborhoods of worlds through heavy snowfalls and blizzards, and temperatures will drop to very cold, forcing Sims to use their outerwear clothing every time they go outside. Ice skating rinks and hot chocolate stalls will also start appearing around the worlds. Winterfest and New Year's Eve are the two pre-made holidays for this season.

During winter, Sims can enjoy various snow related activities such as making snowpals, snow angels, having snowball fights and shoving snow to other Sim's faces. Toddlers can play in the snow as well. Piles of snow will appear throughout neighborhoods and Sims can shovel them up to possibly gain some collectibles. Winterfest is one of the two holidays of winter and is centered around decorating, having a festive spirit, opening and giving presents, as well as the visit of Father Winter. New Year's Eve on the other hand heavily focuses on partying, making resolutions and welcoming the new year.
 * Activities

The weather during winter heavily consists of snowfalls and blizzards, with occasional sunny and cloudy days also being possible. The temperatures will often plummet to cold and freezing, making the chances for Sims to die from freezing much higher, if they aren't well prepared. Sims with 500 aspiration points can buy the "Cold Acclimation" trait from the aspiration reward store, which will make the cold temperatures more enjoyable while still feeling the effects. The "Iceproof" trait, however, will make Sims completely resisted against cold weather.
 * Weather

The Sims Castaway Stories
The Sims Castaway Stories is also a game that features weather. It features normal, hot weather in one season, and rain with thunder and hail in the second one. Weather also affects a Sim's body temperature in The Sims Castaway Stories. Sims can change weather using the story reward object, the weather machine, which was initially meant for Winford Rhinehart so that he could take over the island.

Trivia

 * Lightning can kill a Sim if they are outside. This is more likely if they are in water (for example, swimming or using a hot tub) and their needs are too low.
 * Ghosts can haunt at noon if their tombstone is struck by a storm.
 * In The Sims Castaway Stories, during the story, fireballs from the erupting volcano can fall from the sky burning things. It is not known if this can happen in the free-play storyline.
 * Lightning can also damage trees in Castaway Stories.
 * With Fog Emitter from The Sims 3: Ambitions, players can create rain effects. The special effects have been present prior to The Sims 3: Seasons.
 * An EA employee has stated that developers should have included weather in The Sims 3: Late Night, but decided to postpone it to make weather a great addition to an expansion pack instead of a minor feature.
 * Weather was planned to be a part of The Sims 2 base game, but it was removed. However, by using Paul's Reaction Tester, Sims can act like they see rain, even without Seasons installed.