Overall: C-

Oh the potential this story had if the main character wasn't a twit.

"Cold Snap" had so much promise - a grieving widow...an isolated winter cabin...chilly atmosphere....

But it just goes downhill thanks to previously mentioned widow, Christine. She is more frustrating than the story is frightening. 

The constant flashbacks to her husband's death every time that she drew a breath became more tiresome and repetitive than actually showcasing genuine grief. I ended up skipping paragraphs every time "Derek" popped up. This attempt was overkill in trying to drive home the trauma theme. If this was a novel instead of a novella with more time to space the flashbacks out and give a sense of who Derek and the family in general are as a whole, it could work. 

Christine's poor decision making skills were ridiculous. What cinched my contempt for this woman was

when Haiku the cat is killed and these lines occur:
"If Haiku died under the hooves of a wild animal, it's tragic, it is in fact Christine's fault for letting her slip through the door -- but it's also natural. She doesn't know why that is better but she decides to believe it"
No Christine, it's your fault for bringing the damn cat. It's your fault for ignoring the no pet warnings. It's your fault for heading blindly to a cabin instead of learning more about the destination. It's your fault for relying on a stupid getaway to help heal you and your son's relationship instead of a damn therapist.

I think the author is trying to justify Christine's negligence as a result of grief but I'm not convinced that Christine had any common sense before this. One could say "She's grieving so it's expected be a bit reckless and make mistakes". No. No she is not. Not mistakes and choices like these.

The atmosphere is good and the premise was genuinely intriguing but ultimately, the story falters because of Christine.