Stardew Valley created by ConcernedApe.
Images used for educational purposes only.
Main Walkthrough

Brrrr! Dat chill! The end of the Stardew Valley year, Winter is the season where everyone bundles up and heads indoors for most of the month. Cold and barren, yet glittery and beautiful, Winter is for some a much-needed break from the constant routine of growing plants... and, for others, a time of struggle, as though same plants bring in some much-needed cash.

Overview

 Winter is the fourth and final month of the Stardew Valley year. During Winter crops will no longer grow (aside from Winter Seeds), and you'll need to find other things to do during most days. NPC routines tend to change a fair bit in the Winter, as well, and you'll more often find the villagers of Pelican Town indoors than outdoors.

During the night of the 28th day of Winter on your second year, just before transitioning back to Spring and beginning your third year, you'll be visited by the spirit of your grandfather and ranked on how well you did during your first two years. This has no real bearing on your game, aside from a minor aesthetic change, but damned if it isn't a little demoralizing most of the time.

Crops and Foraging

 Winter does not offer the usual range of crops as other months, as normal plants will not grow. That said, you can still grow Wild Seeds, which will then bear the same items you can find by foraging: Winter Roots, Crystal Fruits, Snow Yams, and Crocuses. In general, though, Winter is not spent growing things.


Festivals

 There are two festivals during the Winter:

  • The Festival of Ice takes place on the 8th of Winter. During this icy event fishermen from all 'round Stardew Valley compete to take first place in an ice fishing tournament.
  • The Feast of the Winter Star takes place on the 25th of Winter, because, Christmas. During this 'Secret Santa' event each of the villagers is given a name and must present their randomly-chosen villager with a gift... and then receive one in return.
Birthdays

The following people have birthdays in Winter:
  • 3rd - Linus
  • 7th - Caroline
  • 10th - Sebastian
  • 14th - Harvey
  • 17th - Wizard
  • 20th - Evelyn
  • 23rd - Leah
  • 26th - Clint
Winter Strategies
  • Because crop maintenance is no longer a thing during Winter you'll need to find something else to do. This is a good season to work on fishing, braving the Mines, foraging, Crafting, and all manner of other activities that don't involve plants.
  • Your animals will no longer go outside during the Winter, so you might as well close up the doors on their Barns / Coops. This also means that they must be fed manually every day, so visit their stalls each morning and dole out Hay as appropriate.
  • Speaking of which, keep a close eye on your Silos. If you have a large number of animals Hay can run out surprisingly quickly during Winter.
  • Still on the subject of animals, get Heaters for your Barns and Coops. Your animals will be unhappy if they're cold during the Winter. You can purchase Heaters from Marnie's Ranch for 2,000 gold apiece.
  • Since greenery no longer spreads in Winter, this is a good month to spend clearing trees and bushes off of your land in preparation for Spring.

Main Walkthrough