The most important thing to understand about the weather system is how it naturally flows with your gameplay. As you explore, you'll notice seasons changing every couple hours of playtime (this creates different tactical opportunities each time you play). Something interesting about this is that you can actually force season changes by fast-traveling when your season meter is halfway or completely full, which is super helpful for specific mission approaches.

The weather itself really changes how you'll need to tackle different situations. When it's raining, your footsteps are naturally quieter, but you'll notice guards clustering under shelters which can make certain areas more crowded. Wind is particularly useful because it masks your movement, and i've found it especially effective when combined with the rustling foliage (guards have a harder time spotting you in moving bushes). During winter, those ponds you used for water routes will freeze over, which might seem like a disadvantage at first, but it actually opens up new pathways you couldn't access before.

What makes this system really shine is how the environment adapts to these changes. In winter, you'll spot icicles forming on rooftops, and here's something neat - you can break them to create distractions, though be careful about the noise. The seasonal changes affect guard behavior too, and you'll notice them huddling near heat sources when it's cold (this creates perfect opportunities for stealth approaches). The whole system is actually pretty sophisticated, with the game engine simulating realistic cloud formation based on humidity levels, which is why the weather transitions feel so natural and unpredictable.