I have driven my 986S year round, about 15,000 miles, in Chicago with absolutely no problems. Funny...the snorkel on the 986 in cupped at the end...like a bowl. You would have thought water could build up in there and then enter the system...but this never happens.
The problem with those "cold air intakes" is the filter is moved very close to the ground. When you go through a puddle of water it sucks it up. Many manufacturers are now selling, as an option, a safety device you add to the track of the intake...made of foam. When water is sucked into the intake the suction is broken and air is pulled through from the foam. The water is then released back to earth.
