Guide:Productivity in winter

Assuming you used the default settings for starting in a temperate region, you can expect around 5 months of weather too cold for farming and other things. You can avoid getting bored during winter by planning ahead.

Save for wintertime

Don't do these during fair weather, when your time could be better spent preparing for winter:

• build a large, fancy base
• chisel lots of detail
• mine chests full of ore
• cook stews/porridge (unless you have beeswax)

While you can repair translocators and peek at what's on the other side, if it takes you to warmer areas then save significant exploration for when your main base is snowbound.

Do in wintertime

Around November, temperatures will stop getting above 0 degrees, and several natural processes will halt. Your first winter you should plan on spending at home or nearby, unless you have abundant food stored, abundant fuel, and warm clothing in good repair.

Shelter

Assuming you kept the default setting for "body temperature hardiness," when temperatures are below zero your hunger rate is increased by around 30% and your body temperature starts to drop. Going inside a valid "room" removes the hunger debuff and permits your body temperature to slowly return to normal; additionally, a firepit's heat is more effective in a room. It's not important for every area of your base to be a valid "room" but now's a good time to make sure that you have at least one spot where you can thaw even if you've run out of fuel.

Chores

• Catch/escort useful creatures closer to your base
• Feed livestock, cull older generations
• Grind (in a quern) flour, salt, lime
• Clayform (especially crocks and storage vessels)
• Cook (especially porridge and vegetable stews; meat and fruit should already be cooked/stored)
• Bake (bread and/or pies)
• Break leaves (preferably with shears)
• Chop lumber trees (especially pines that don't leak resin)

Stock up

• Mine ore you located earlier (underground isn't cold)
• Make charcoal (can never have too much, especially if you're aiming for steel)
• Smith extra tools you’ll need this year (so you won't need to interrupt work to make more)
• Dig up more clay
• Pit kilns (especially fire clay bricks)

Get artistic

• Remodel
• Chisel to your heart's content

Explore

Take a stack of firewood, some grass, and a torch or firestarter, and scour the terrain around your base. Things like clay and high fertility soil will be harder to spot if snow has fallen. But wild crops and fruit trees are typically easier to spot