Mom was right: Cold weather can cause colds

Mom, as usual, was right — colder weather makes it more likely you’ll come down with a cold.

Scientists at Yale University found that rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, replicates better in the cooler environment of mice’s noses than the rest of their warmer bodies. And, specific to the team’s research, their immune systems mounted a less effective defense against rhinovirus when they were kept in a cooler environment.

About 20 percent of the (human) population are rhinovirus carriers at any given time.

“In general, the lower the temperature, it seems the lower the innate immune response to viruses,” notes senior author and Yale professor of immunobiology Akiko Iwasaki.

Or, as mom always said, don’t forget your hat and gloves (and cover your nose, too, to keep it warmer).