The warmest counties in the 10 coldest states
Climate change has meant more extreme heat days, a rising frequency of major weather events, and extended growing seasons in traditionally cool-weather states.
In colder parts of the country, warmer weather also means expanded territory and population booms for pests such as mosquitoes. Ticks, whose numbers are kept in check in part by deep freezes (10 degrees Fahrenheit or colder), will survive more easily in warmer winters, potentially increasing the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens such as Lyme disease, according to a July 2021 article in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
The seasonal temperature outlook through September 2023 across the vast majority of the U.S. is predicted to be above normal, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Stacker ranked nearly 500 counties in the 10 coldest states in the continental U.S. to find the warmest based on average temperature between May 2022 and April 2023, citing National Centers for Environmental Information data. The coldest states included in the analysis are North Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, Montana, Idaho, Maine, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Vermont. Ties are broken based on the average high temperature.
