Removed when you roughed out your mortises.
Short term climatic changes of rain wind and swings in humidity, do not effect how a timber seasons which is a years long process, after which there are only seasonal percentage point or two swings in MC. The only exception to this is prolonged exposure to intense sunlight which hyper accelerates drying on the exposed surface and effects radial shrinkage and how the timber checks.
I was only answering your original question as to what people do and why and what are seen as advantages in one way over another, and suggesting there is little need to worry about damaging your joinery with over draw.
This your first project is a learning process, consider maybe doing some of each, and then let time tell you what it might.
