Colorado winters can be summed up by three "Ss" - sun, snow, and sports. It's no wonder why Colorado ranked high for their winters.

The Thrillist just ranked states based on their winters, and it's no surprise Colorado ranked in the top five of "not-so-bad" winters -- is any winter really that good? We came in #47, between California and Florida.

Where else besides Colorado can you ski, sled, and play in the snow, all while wearing a pair of shorts, tennis shoes, and a light jacket? Most Colorado winters offer a few weeks where you can actually work on your tan. I can think of several winter days when I like to ride my bike to work.

Let's face it, most of Colorado enjoys all the benefits of winter, while enduring only a handful of negatives. Okay, so Gunnison gets hit a lot harder than Grand Junction. Nobody said the entire state gets to take it easy.

According to the Thrillist, "Colorado has basically solved winter." Snowfall in Colorado is typically a cause for celebration. Granted, many ski resort operators sweat bullets come fall for fear their slopes won't receive enough snow by the start of the season. For the most part, though, the state is ready to roll once the temperature drops.

For those at lower elevations, winter snow is the exception more than the rule. The valleys typically see only a few legitimate traces of snow each winter. Unfortunately, when it does happen, it seems most people haven't a clue how to drive on the stuff.

People from the Midwest tend to belittle Colorado and our winters. They say we don't know the meaning of real snowfall and cold temperatures. Okay, so Wisconsin gets far more annual snowfall than we do. People from Michigan are constantly digging tunnels through snow just to get to their mailbox. Then again, people from Wisconsin aren't likely to slide off the road and plummet 2,000 feet to their deaths. It only takes a fraction of an inch of snow to make a road slippery, something Coloradans know all too well.

Where the economy is concerned, the weather here is just right. We have enough snow to almost monopolize the winter sports scene. In the meantime, though, the state is still accessible enough for everyone to enjoy great beer and other year-round attractions.

I was born in Colorado, and to date, don't even own a legitimate winter coat. I have one of those fuzzy "Columbia" jackets, and that's what I wear all season. Rumor has it I own a pair of gloves, but I haven't seen them in years.

Colorado, for the most part, has it made in the winter. Not too cold, but a welcome change from the summer heat. Compared to the rest of the nation, we're sitting pretty at #47 on the list of most miserable winters. Here's looking forward to another fun, and hopefully mild, winter.

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