Why Idahoans Prefer it Cold Versus Hot

Maybe it’s those triple-digit days of summer. We sweat in July and August and maybe we would like some relief. We get it during the rest of the year. The higher elevations get plenty of snow and some bone-chilling temperatures. I spotted a meme on Instagram about the weather likes of all 50 states. Mostly, northern states like it cold, and southern states like it hot. It probably explains why we choose to live where we do.

But there are some outliers. For instance, the Dakotas and Minnesota like it hot. Maybe it’s because those states are the ice boxes of the Lower 48. When you hit 60 below zero in some places, you probably obsess over beaches in Florida.

Three states in the Deep South prefer cold. Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama aren’t just hot in summer, you can also cut the moisture in the air with a knife. A friend I used to work with once went home to visit his mom for a week during an Arkansas summer. He told me he couldn’t sleep when it was 96 degrees and sticky at one o’clock in the morning.

I can live with a reasonable cold. Anything above zero. I draw the line between snow and ice. I also don’t like that stretch after Christmas when it appears skies are gray for weeks on end. But you can’t beat Idaho for sunshine for much of the year. Blue skies and mountains make you thankful for all your blessings. I can live with a couple of months of gloom in exchange for the bounty and the blessing of Idaho.