There will be argument, but IMO (and opinion of many others), you just can’t get “breathable” And “waterproof” in the same garment. Not in a garment worn for intense physical exercise anyway. If something is breathable…allowing moisture vapors to escape…the moisture can also get in. It would appear that the garment is “breathable” for a body that is doing very easy to moderate activity…i.e. walking…and not something strenuous like moderate to hard cycling. So what it comes down to is that one way or another you’re going to be wet…either sweating from moisture that can’t escape, or from precipitation leaking through. So…I choose the garment/material that will keep me warm (wind proof) when it’s wet. My personal choice for winter wear is, like you, a ski jacket. That is topped with a very thin outer Pearl iZumi polyester windbreaker. I can’t believe how affective those windbreakers are. They’re so thin and lite, but do an OUTSTANDING job at wind breaking. If the weather is dry but just cold…down to about 35°F all I need is a long sleeve shirt, and that windbreaker. But it does not really provide any water resistance.
Dan