I've spent most of my life living in states that begin with the letter "M." I grew up in Montana, did my undergrad in Minnesota, and attended grad school in Maine. What do these states have in common besides being "M" states? Bitter cold winters.

I remember getting stuck on Christmas morning in 1996 in Missoula when the snow was so deep we could barely pull out of our driveway. I remember my freshman year in college, walking across campus when there was -54 windchill and my eyelashes froze before I got to my next class. I remember parking bans in downtown Portland, Maine when I had to leave my car nearly a mile away from my apartment so that the plows could clear our narrow streets.

But, in each place, there are enjoyable summers, too--floating the river in Montana, canoeing in Minnesota, and sailing in Maine.

Related: An Open Letter to Those Who Reserved All of the Montana Campsites

That's where this video comes in.

@secret.chicago on Instagram has a message for people in cold states.

"We need to form a coalition."

She goes on explain why "palm tree people" shouldn't visit cold states in the summer and even has a specific shout-out to Montana.

This is as much an ode to all of us who live through winters as it is a "request" for people in warmer climates to stay where they are. Because what she emphasizes is that it is hard work to get through a winter in cold states.

Now, I know that Montana's economy is dependent on tourism dollars and many small businesses benefit from that revenue. And yet.

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It's social media, so the video may be in jest, but I think she has a point. It's hard living in a cold climate not only because of treacherous driving, but frozen pipes, seasonal depression, and a dozen other things. In addition, Montana has been experiencing growing pains, with an influx of new residents and increased tourism. Tourists, let us have our summers, too.

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

 

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