In my eyes, the recipe for a nice winter consists of cold snowy days in the weather report. I don't mind a hint of 45-degree warmth here and there, with a slight mist of rain. But, for the most part, the thermometer should lean closer to zero than it does to the 100 mark. While I was growing up in the Pacific Northwest, the recipe was always the one that served up that fourth season of the year.

I always knew Arizona was typically warm, but I had no idea what I was in for when I found out that school and football would be relocating me to Arizona Western College.

February in Yuma was definitely warmer than it was in the "City of Rain," Seattle, Wash. While we in Yuma were enjoying these warm nights between 50 and 65 degrees, the people of Seattle were having a snowstorm so severe that a record 9-15 inches of snow fell within the span of a week. In fact, Yuma's nighttime lows recorded hotter then Seattle's daytime highs.

Although it was such a bad time for natives of the Northwest, with power outages, icy roads and work places shutting down for days, to me it was still an ideal winter. Not that I have anything against the sunny weather; I just think 84 degrees is a tad much for a winter day.

I can see how Yuma might be an ideal spot for a winter getaway for those retired folk who want to avoid the cold, snowy weather. However, this isn't the place for anyone looking to find a cool, comfortable resort to hit the slopes snowboarding or skiing. Speaking for myself, I like to experience all four seasons of the year!