Weather was introduced to The Sims 2 with the Seasons expansion pack, but Sims could already talk about the weather as a social interaction long before that pack added actual weather mechanics to the game. With Seasons installed, each neighborhood cycles through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, each lasting five Sim days by default for a total year of 20 Sim days. Every neighborhood and sub-neighborhood has a control panel where you can choose which season is active and how long it lasts.
This guide covers how each season works, what activities become available, and what hazards to watch out for when your Sims step outside.
Originally published on SimGoodie.no on 29 November 2011. Restored from the SimGoodie legacy archive.
How seasons and weather affect the game
Each season shifts the overall colour palette and lighting of the game world. Winter takes on a cool blue tone, autumn warms up with brown-orange hues, spring settles into grey overcast light, and summer returns to a natural palette with brighter nights. Your Sims' moods change with the seasons too, and certain social and skill activities become easier depending on the time of year.
Weather also appears in other titles in the franchise. The Urbz: Sims in the City was actually the first game to feature weather, and The Sims 2 on console includes it as well. In those versions, Sims pull out an umbrella or hold a newspaper over their head when it rains. The Sims 3 on Wii also has weather that works in almost the same way as The Sims 2's system.
Winter
Winter is the season for building family relationships. Snow and even hail can fall on your lot and accumulate on the ground. Sims left outside in the cold for too long can become frozen or get sick, and Social Services will take babies or children away if they become dangerously cold.
Environmental changes:
- Temperature drops from the comfortable zone into the cold range
- The game's lighting takes on a blue tone
- Nights become darker
- Water freezes over
- Plants die
Activities:
- Build snowmen
- Have snowball fights
- Make snow angels
- Dogs and children can eat snow
- Play in the snow (children)
If too much snow falls on a given day, children and teens may get a snow day and stay home from school. Flowers go dormant and may die during winter. You can buy a coat rack and place it near the door so Sims will change into outerwear before heading outside.
One important detail: if your house has no roof, snow will actually fall inside. The interior will become cold, affecting your Sims and potentially making them sick.
Spring
Spring brings rain, thunderstorms, hail, and occasional sunshine. Romantic relationships are the focus this season, and it is easier for Sims to fall in love. Sims will wear more rainwear during this time of year, and the air is cool but not as biting as winter.
Environmental changes:
- Temperature ranges from comfortable to slightly cold
- Snow and frozen ponds or lakes melt
- The game's lighting shifts to a grey tone
Likely weather:
- Snow (early spring)
- Rain
- Thunder
Activities:
- Jump in puddles
- Plant and harvest vegetables
- Work in the garden
If you have The Sims 2 Apartment Life installed, the lot "Palace of Neverending Light" stays in spring year-round.
Summer
Summer is the best season for building friendships. Sims can have water balloon fights, swim, and play Marco Polo in the pool. Heatstroke is the main danger: any Sim left in the sun too long can collapse from the heat, and Social Services will intervene for babies and children in this condition.
Environmental changes:
- Temperature rises from comfortable into the hot range, increasing each day
- The game's lighting returns to a natural colour
- Nights become lighter
Likely weather:
- Sunshine
- Rain
- Hail
- Thunder
Activities:
- Water balloon fights
- Fishing
- Playing Marco Polo in the pool
If you have The Sims 2 Bon Voyage installed, Twikkii Island stays in summer all year.
Autumn
As autumn arrives, temperatures drop and rain or even early snow can appear. This is the season where Sims find it easiest to focus on building their skills. Leaves change colour and fall from the trees, and Sims can rake them into piles to play in or burn. Toward the end of autumn, Sims begin changing into outdoor clothing. Sims are more prone to catching colds in this season, though they will not freeze to death the way they can in winter.
Environmental changes:
- Temperature sinks to the comfortable zone and below
- The game's lighting shifts to a brown-orange tone
- Nights become darker
- Lakes may freeze
- Leaves change colour and fall from trees
Likely weather:
- Rain (roughly 15% chance each day)
- Snow is possible but unlikely
Activities:
- Play in leaf piles
- Harvest crops
If you have The Sims 2 Bon Voyage installed, Three Lakes stays in autumn and winter year-round.
Weather in The Sims 3
At the time of writing (2011), no expansion pack had added weather to The Sims 3. A makeshift version existed through The Sims 3 Late Night's Fog Emitter object, purchasable in Buy Debug mode. Holding Ctrl+Shift and clicking the emitter let players enter codes to produce effects like rain and snow. An EA employee stated that weather was originally planned for The Sims 3 Late Night but was pulled so it could be the centrepiece of its own dedicated expansion. At the time, this remained speculation and was not confirmed by EA.
(The Sims 3 Seasons was eventually released in November 2012, adding a full weather and seasons system to the base game.)
Tips and edge cases
- Always check whether your lot has a complete roof before winter arrives. Missing roof tiles will let snow inside and can quickly make your household sick.
- The coat rack near an exterior door automates outfit changes for cold weather. Without it, Sims may walk into the snow in everyday clothes and get dangerously cold before you notice.
- Babies and toddlers are especially vulnerable. Social Services responds to both extreme cold and extreme heat, so keep an eye on the temperature indicator whenever a young Sim is outside.
- Sub-neighborhoods from Bon Voyage and Apartment Life have fixed seasons. This is useful for vacation lots but means your resident Sims will never experience seasonal transitions there.
- The season control panel in each neighborhood lets you skip or extend any season. If you find five-day winters too punishing (or too short), adjust it there.
Source: SimGoodie legacy archive (simgoodie.no)