I have often installed packages in cold weather and I think we have discussed this here before. I have pictures on my site of installing at night in a snowstorm.  The bees were just fine the next day.

Be aware: there is no substitute for honey in combs, except, possibly fondant above the frames.  Syrup can be added to the combs, but unless done just right, tends to get the bees soggy: not a good beginning IMO.

Installing on foundation in cold weather is asking for trouble, especially for the inexperienced would-be beekeeper.  Keep in mind that most feeders won't work, especially for inexperienced beekeepers, and if it is cool, the bees really need feed or they will die.  It is that simple.   Even if the feeders do work, do, there is no guarantee the bees will find them, especially if people do things like leave the queen in the cage instead of releasing her among the bees, or leave the package inside the hive.  Don't count on feeders until the bees are settled.

There is no limit to the dumb things people do with packages.  I've installed tens of thousands and seldom had a hitch.  The one time I did screw up big-time was when I picked up a few hundred New Zealand packages up at the airport, right off the plane.  They looked so awful, I thought they needed to go into the hives STAT.  We installed at mid-day, expecting the rain to start.  It didn't and the sun came out.  So did the bees.  We had fifty-pound swarms in the trees.

We managed to get them all straightened out, but it was a mess for a while.  I figured out -- later -- that they had been shipped with dry ice to keep them cool -- and tranquil.  C02 is an anaesthetic for bees and I doubt it is wise to use it in shipping, but that was how they did it.  

If I had kept the packages inside in the dark a few hours more, and installed at dusk, they would probably have been fine and have had more time to get over the drugging, but I did not know why they looked so bad and figured to get them hived ASAP.  Bees generally look much better on comb.

Anyhow, IMO, there is one right way to install packages and that is this. 

Make up a brood chamber with good brood combs.  Place two or three half-full frames, hopefully with some pollen, in the middle and some fuller ones to the outside. Any foundation should go to the very outside for the time being.  Use 9 or 10 frames (your choice) and space them properly.  Don't leave a big space anywhere, or guess where your bees may well be building comb when you get around to looking.

Then remove the centre three combs and place them in the proper order and position up against the side of the hive. 

Examine the package bees and thump them down gently.  The bees will drop and you should see the queen running around in her cage.  If she is dead, then go to plan B.   Frankly, we just grab a spare queen and proceed as if she had been with the bees all along.  Some might be afraid to do this due to the huge amount of bad and scary information out there, but It has never failed for me.  Bulk bees like queens, especially when they are dumped unceremoniously into a strange hive.

With the bees down on the bottom of the package, pull out the can and drop it on the ground.  Tap the package down again and invert it over the gap in the centre of the hive where the combs were removed.  Bang the ends of the package and shake back and forth until all the bees are out.  A good op leaves very few bees in the box.  Throw the empty package somewhere out of the way.

Now release the queen into the mass of bees by tearing off the screen.  Just opening the hole does not always work.  Occasionally the queen stays in the cage. 

Tearing off the screen can be tricky since the queen can be on the screen, so many of us dip the queen cage in water for a second and shake it a little to wet her so she can't fly, especially if we are installing (foolishly IMO) in the daytime.

The bees will now be on the floor of the hive and coming up the combs,  Pick up each comb from beside the hive and gently place it into its spot.  If the bees are piled up on the floor, be careful not to crush them by using force, but you can let each frame settle under its own weight.  Don't waste too much time or the bees will all be up.

Check the frame spacing, then put on the cover, check that the entrance is reduced and go away for a few days.  (I know you won't wait that long.  I don't).

When installing in cold weather, the packages must be warm enough that the bees come right back up if the package is thumped down to drop them down to check the queen.  A little running on the screens is a sign that they are good to go.  (In warm weather, it is better if the bees are less responsive and not running on the screens).

Dusk is always the best time to install since the night is not yet cold and the bees cannot see to drift.  

As long as the hive is dry and can be closed up tight (with an entrance, of course), the bees will be fine even if there is snow on the ground.  In fact, cold weather can be a good thing since the bees will not all come out and drift before they get settled.

Be sure to pick up the cages and cans and leave the yard neat.

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