Unmasking the Myth of Colorado’s Sun-Drenched Reputation

Have you ever heard something that had you questioning everything you'd ever been told before? There comes a time when we learn that things like the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus aren't real, but what about when a truth bomb hits you like a ton of bricks as an adult?

One fact that many of us had held to be true about our great state of Colorado turns out to be totally made up, and the story behind its origin is just as fascinating as the myth itself.

Colorado Isn't Actually as Sunny as We've Been Told

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Colorado is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, there's no denying that, so it's not unreasonable to take the adage of the Centennial State experiencing 300 days of sunshine per year as true.

Well, it turns out that Colorado doesn't actually have sunny days 82% of the time after all, but rather closer to 115, according to experts like the National Weather Service and the Colorado Climate Center.

The hard truth is that we've been believing this myth for as many as 150 years. So how does a made-up story like this come about and dupe so many people for so long?

According to climatologist Nolan Doesken of the Colorado Climate Center, this claim was made back in the 1870s by a railroad company's publicist who had apparently been tasked with coming up with a slogan that would attract people to move to the state.

The company for which the publicist worked is unclear, as is whether or not Colorado was even a state yet when the claim was made, but we definitely do know that it was right around the same time.

While the myth has been busted, the fact that Colorado has so many beautiful days really doesn't make it all that surprising that so many believed it for so long.