[DrNickBurton]

If you're concerned about protecting your equipment from the elements, it's possible to buy waterproof camera and lens covers from wildlife watching supplies. I have one, they're very good indeed, and protect also against dirt etc.

For photographing ice, dial in some exposure compensation to overexpose by about half a stop (it varies between cameras), as views containing mostly white will tend to fool the light meter on your camera into underexposing.