Boring Iowa counties? That’s in the eye of the beholder

Everyone knows that Iowa's winters can get downright cold and that summertime brings tornado alerts. But it turns out the federal

government for years has been keeping track of this sort of thing and ranking all 3,111 counties in the continental United States by

their 'natural amenities” - warm winters, temperate summers, sunny skies, topographic variation and water areas. The rankings by the U.S.

Department of Agriculture are not kind to Iowa. In a blog this week, the Washington Post wondered how 'Maricopa County, Ariz. - home to

Phoenix, a place that feels like the inside of a hot car for half the year - ranks higher than Iowa's stunningly beautiful and criminally

underappreciated Loess Hills region” on the state's western edge. Here's some of what the USDA says about us and others:

JOHNSON COUNTY

' Rank: 2,826

' Water area: 1.42%

' Mean humidity: 60%

' Mean hours/sun: 141

LINN COUNTY

' Ranks: 2,868' Water area: .98 percent

' Mean humidity: 60%

' Mean hours/sun: 141

BEST RANKING:

Ventura County, Calif.

The Southern California county boasts 16 percent of its area is water. But there's this: A study this week warns its coastline's shape makes it more vulnerable to a tsunami.

WORST RANKING

Red Lake County, Minn.

The low ranking of the county, and Minnesota in general, sparked irate citizens to launch a social media campaign sharing idyllic photos.