Of all of the places I have lived, the Tri-Cities is the best in winter. Although we seem to have many cloudy overcast days, it is usually warm and dry enough to play golf. Even when there is snow on the ground it usually lasts only a few days. When it is cold and windy, it is usually clear and the sunshine on a cold day feels good.

I'm close enough to ski areas that I can drive to one of several and back and have a good time skiing all in one day; I'm rarely confined to home with really bad weather, and when I do get depressed about the weather I can call either of my sons, the one in Spokane or the one in Seattle and compare our weather to theirs -- we nearly always win.

Finally, when the weather really gets me down I can go to the Tri-Cities airport, get on a plane and fly to somewhere warm.

I grew up in Northern Idaho. Now there one can really get knocked down by winter! Speaking comparatively, our worst weather is not so bad.

-- Robin Emmingham, Kennewick