While you can operate "deployed" any time, Winter Field Day on January 25th and 26th offers an opportunity to participate in a world-wide event similar to the ARRL Field Day in June.
For participants in southern climates, the weather is probably more comfortable than summer Field Day. For us in NNY it is just the opposite. However, it may be a better emergency communications exercise than in June, because a winter ice storm that knocks out power and communications over a wide area is more likely than a severe warm-weather storm.
The original intent and highest point category of WFD is operating outside, but you can operate from home, or deployed to any comfy location with the only outside activity being setup of temporary antennas, or you could operate from the EOC or other fixed location.
We would really like all NNY ARES members to participate in Winter Field Day individually or as groups. We don't expect you to go camping in the snow, but some simulation of emergency conditions would be great. Run on emergency power, use a field-expedient backup antenna, etc. Rocco is offering an incentive for stations that make at least 50 contacts during WFD.