Bozeman is experiencing a heatwave this week, with temperatures reaching into the low 90s, prompting residents to consider if it’s too hot to properly complain about the weather. Many longtime locals, and those who consider themselves so, have noted that while it is indeed warm, it hasn’t quite reached the “too hot to function” levels often seen elsewhere.

“It’s hot, sure, but it’s a dry heat,” observed Brenda Peterson, who moved here six years ago from Arizona and considers herself an expert on heat. “Back in Phoenix, 110 felt like standing in a blow dryer. Here, it’s more like a warm hug. A kind of sticky warm hug, but still. Can’t really gripe about it yet, not truly.”

The discussion around appropriate heat-related grievances has been robust online and in local coffee shops. Some residents feel that any temperature above 80 degrees provides ample grounds for lamenting lost winter days, while others hold out for more extreme conditions, perhaps 95 degrees or higher, before engaging in full-fledged seasonal dissatisfaction.

Younger residents, particularly those from states like Florida or Texas, seemed less bothered by the temperatures. “This is just summer,” said Chad “Skippy” McAllister, an MSU student originally from Houston. “My car thermometer hit 102 crossing the valley today, and I barely broke a sweat. It just means the ice cream tastes better.”

However, others expressed concern that while the heat might not be record-breaking, it still interferes with cherished Bozeman activities. “How am I supposed to enjoy sitting in traffic on 19th with the sun glaring down, wishing I was on the M, when it’s this warm?” asked local artist, Juniper Willowbrook. “It really takes the edge off that specific kind of frustration.”

The city commission was reportedly looking into issuing a statement on acceptable complaining thresholds, but adjourned early due to the warm conference room. Ultimately, while the mercury may climb, the true measure of a Bozeman summer seems to be found in the delicate balance of finding things to talk about, regardless of the weather.