Other Considerations

Changing weather can be tricky. If you go out to record some nice wet snow, be aware that the weather can change significantly in two hours. You may find that snow doesn't sound like it sounded two hours ago. It might be more crispy, because the temperature got lower.

Good recording locations may also be hard to find. It should be silent. No animals, traffic, or people can be near in the recording place. Freezing weather will make sounds audible from a longer distance. For example, I once thought that I found a perfect place.

It was near a lake, with no traffic, people or anything else near me. I started to record. It didn't take a long when I noticed that something weird was going on. It was the lake. It made a low frequency rumbling noise because it was 14F (-10C) and the ice was moving and changing its shape.

After Recording

Work is not done when you record your last sound. You have to take care of your equipment. When you bring your equipment back indoors they will get damp. It is very important to open all battery covers, cases, unplug cables, put wind shield to dry, etc. This will not take a long time but it will keep your equipment in good condition. I have seen too many people undervalue their equipment.

Conclusion

Everything doesn't have to be as loud as it can. More nuance, details, dynamics, crazy ideas, and hard work will raise the quality of game audio. Games get more interesting and unique soundtracks when you try novel techniques.

The play experience will be better, because the player won't hear typical snow sounds -- they'll hear real sounds with real surfaces. Suddenly, your games feel fresh. The player might never realize what's different, but the game will feel fresh and new.

After all, I think that winter sounds can be amazingly hard to get, but it's worth it. The versatility of winter sounds is huge, so I really think that they should be taken seriously. I'm not saying that I recommend field recording only for the winter sounds, either. Many things can be done in studio with Foley, but sometimes you have to go outside and make it real.

To me, winter is near to my heart, and I also really love to work in hard conditions. Is there anything more pleasant than coming from freezing weather to your home after four or eight hours, and making coffee? Nothing! And outdoor living is good for you anyway.