Soyuz launches to International Space Station; was it safe?

After the Challenger disaster, NASA has some pretty strict guidelines for weather and launching the Space Shuttle. But it seems like Russia doesn't worry about it so much.

Astronauts blast off on Christmas space voyage

"Rain and then sleet poured down onto the sparse Central Asian landscape, quickly blanketing the site in a thick layer of ice, weather conditions which nonetheless helped create a breathtaking backdrop for the launch."

Just speaking for myself, I wouldn't want to ride a launch vehicle in weather like that.