The warmest counties in the 10 coldest states

Canva 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. #50. Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota Canva – Average temperature: 47.9 F (3.2 F higher than state average) – Average high: 61.3 F – Average low: 34.4 F – #2489 warmest county nationally #49. Androscoggin County, Maine Canva – Average temperature: 47.9 F (3.3 F higher than state average) – Average high: 57.9 F – Average low: 37.8 F – #2487 warmest county nationally #48. Grant County, Wisconsin Canva – Average temperature: 47.9 F (3.0 F higher than state average) – Average high: 57.8 F – Average low: 38.1 F – #2485 warmest county nationally #47. Columbia County, Wisconsin Canva – Average temperature: 47.9 F (3.1 F higher than state average) – Average high: 57.4 F – Average low: 38.5 F – #2484 warmest county nationally #46. Lafayette County, Wisconsin Barbara Smits // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 48.0 F (3.1 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.5 F – Average low: 37.6 F – #2478 warmest county nationally #45. Lincoln County, Maine Bob Pool // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 48.2 F (3.6 F higher than state average) – Average high: 57.0 F – Average low: 39.3 F – #2471 warmest county nationally #44. Ozaukee County, Wisconsin James Meyer // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 48.2 F (3.3 F higher than state average) – Average high: 57.0 F – Average low: 39.4 F – #2470 warmest county nationally #43. Cumberland County, Maine Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 48.2 F (3.6 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.2 F – Average low: 38.2 F – #2468 warmest county nationally #42. Grand Isle County, Vermont Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 48.2 F (2.4 F higher than state average) – Average high: 57.3 F – Average low: 39.2 F – #2467 warmest county nationally #41. Jerome County, Idaho Canva – Average temperature: 48.2 F (5.3 F higher than state average) – Average high: 60.6 F – Average low: 35.8 F – #2464 warmest county nationally #40. Weld County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 48.4 F (3.0 F higher than state average) – Average high: 63.1 F – Average low: 33.6 F – #2453 warmest county nationally #39. Gem County, Idaho MKStyle // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 48.4 F (5.5 F higher than state average) – Average high: 60.5 F – Average low: 36.3 F – #2452 warmest county nationally #38. York County, Maine Canva – Average temperature: 48.5 F (3.9 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.7 F – Average low: 38.2 F – #2445 warmest county nationally #37. Dane County, Wisconsin Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 48.5 F (3.6 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.1 F – Average low: 38.9 F – #2439 warmest county nationally #36. Jefferson County, Wisconsin spiritbridge // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 48.5 F (3.7 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.2 F – Average low: 38.9 F – #2434 warmest county nationally #35. Montezuma County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 48.5 F (3.2 F higher than state average) – Average high: 61.8 F – Average low: 35.3 F – #2432 warmest county nationally #34. Sagadahoc County, Maine Canva – Average temperature: 48.5 F (4.0 F higher than state average) – Average high: 57.8 F – Average low: 39.2 F – #2431 warmest county nationally #33. Waukesha County, Wisconsin Canva – Average temperature: 48.6 F (3.7 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.1 F – Average low: 39.1 F – #2427 warmest county nationally #32. Gooding County, Idaho Canva – Average temperature: 48.6 F (5.7 F higher than state average) – Average high: 61.2 F – Average low: 36.0 F – #2424 warmest county nationally #31. Green County, Wisconsin Canva – Average temperature: 48.6 F (3.8 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.7 F – Average low: 38.6 F – #2420 warmest county nationally #30. Washington County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 48.8 F (3.4 F higher than state average) – Average high: 63.6 F – Average low: 33.9 F – #2412 warmest county nationally #29. Walworth County, Wisconsin Canva – Average temperature: 48.8 F (3.9 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.4 F – Average low: 39.2 F – #2404 warmest county nationally #28. Arapahoe County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 48.9 F (3.5 F higher than state average) – Average high: 63.8 F – Average low: 33.9 F – #2398 warmest county nationally #27. Morgan County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 48.9 F (3.5 F higher than state average) – Average high: 63.9 F – Average low: 33.8 F – #2399 warmest county nationally #26. Nez Perce County, Idaho Canva – Average temperature: 48.9 F (6.0 F higher than state average) – Average high: 60.2 F – Average low: 37.6 F – #2397 warmest county nationally #25. Logan County, Colorado Bob Pool // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 49.0 F (3.6 F higher than state average) – Average high: 63.3 F – Average low: 34.6 F – #2390 warmest county nationally #24. Rock County, Wisconsin Canva – Average temperature: 49.1 F (4.2 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.8 F – Average low: 39.4 F – #2379 warmest county nationally #23. Adams County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 49.2 F (3.9 F higher than state average) – Average high: 64.3 F – Average low: 34.1 F – #2370 warmest county nationally #22. Sedgwick County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 49.3 F (3.9 F higher than state average) – Average high: 63.0 F – Average low: 35.7 F – #2358 warmest county nationally #21. Phillips County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 49.7 F (4.3 F higher than state average) – Average high: 64.0 F – Average low: 35.3 F – #2336 warmest county nationally #20. Racine County, Wisconsin Canva – Average temperature: 49.7 F (4.8 F higher than state average) – Average high: 59.0 F – Average low: 40.3 F – #2335 warmest county nationally #19. Lincoln County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 49.7 F (4.3 F higher than state average) – Average high: 65.5 F – Average low: 33.9 F – #2329 warmest county nationally #18. Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Canva – Average temperature: 49.8 F (4.9 F higher than state average) – Average high: 58.8 F – Average low: 40.9 F – #2319 warmest county nationally #17. Kenosha County, Wisconsin Canva – Average temperature: 50.1 F (5.2 F higher than state average) – Average high: 59.4 F – Average low: 40.8 F – #2285 warmest county nationally #16. Broomfield County, Colorado Steve Boice // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 50.4 F (5.0 F higher than state average) – Average high: 64.9 F – Average low: 35.9 F – #2250 warmest county nationally #15. Denver County, Colorado Michael Berlfein // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 50.5 F (5.2 F higher than state average) – Average high: 64.9 F – Average low: 36.2 F – #2232 warmest county nationally #14. Yuma County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 50.6 F (5.2 F higher than state average) – Average high: 65.0 F – Average low: 36.3 F – #2222 warmest county nationally #13. Payette County, Idaho Canva – Average temperature: 51.0 F (8.1 F higher than state average) – Average high: 63.5 F – Average low: 38.5 F – #2186 warmest county nationally #12. Kit Carson County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 51.1 F (5.7 F higher than state average) – Average high: 66.2 F – Average low: 36.1 F – #2176 warmest county nationally #11. Ada County, Idaho Charles Knowles // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 51.2 F (8.3 F higher than state average) – Average high: 63.6 F – Average low: 38.9 F – #2171 warmest county nationally #10. Las Animas County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 51.2 F (5.9 F higher than state average) – Average high: 66.2 F – Average low: 36.3 F – #2168 warmest county nationally #9. Canyon County, Idaho Canva – Average temperature: 51.4 F (8.5 F higher than state average) – Average high: 64.6 F – Average low: 38.3 F – #2144 warmest county nationally #8. Cheyenne County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 51.5 F (6.1 F higher than state average) – Average high: 66.7 F – Average low: 36.3 F – #2135 warmest county nationally #7. Crowley County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 51.7 F (6.4 F higher than state average) – Average high: 68.3 F – Average low: 35.2 F – #2098 warmest county nationally #6. Kiowa County, Colorado Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock – Average temperature: 52.2 F (6.8 F higher than state average) – Average high: 67.8 F – Average low: 36.6 F – #2034 warmest county nationally #5. Pueblo County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 52.2 F (6.8 F higher than state average) – Average high: 67.5 F – Average low: 36.9 F – #2032 warmest county nationally #4. Otero County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 52.8 F (7.5 F higher than state average) – Average high: 69.0 F – Average low: 36.7 F – #1953 warmest county nationally #3. Bent County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 53.2 F (7.8 F higher than state average) – Average high: 69.2 F – Average low: 37.1 F – #1912 warmest county nationally #2. Prowers County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 53.7 F (8.3 F higher than state average) – Average high: 69.4 F – Average low: 37.9 F – #1837 warmest county nationally #1. Baca County, Colorado Canva – Average temperature: 54.1 F (8.7 F higher than state average) – Average high: 70.1 F – Average low: 38.1 F – #1787 warmest county nationally