the traditional theory was that the disease spread to someone staying too long in cold weather, rain, or winter conditions. this is how the disease got its name. the role of body cooling as a risk factor for the common cold is controversial. some common cold viruses are seasonal, found more often in cold or wet weather. this is believed to mostly be due to more time spent indoors, close to each other; specifically children returning to school. still, changes in the respiratory system may result in easier infections. dry air may increase transmission rates by allowing small easily spread droplets to spread farther and stay in the air longer.