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The reason for the common cold being so prevalent in cold weather is because of the cold.
My theory is that cold temperatures best suit the incubation of the germs. You are especially susceptible at night, when you can't control your breath enough to keep your nose/nostrils warm. Warm face/nose at night = you won't catch a cold.
I'm absolutely convinced of this theory. I've tested ways to keep my face/nose warm at night, and it seems to test very solidly (and I get sick very very easily). Once my room gets too chilly, I'll inevitably wake up with a cold.
EDIT: let me have the smallest conspiracy theory in the world, thank you.
Hmmm, not sure why you're getting the downvotes, but your idea is not far-fetched. There have been multiple studies showing things like viruses living longer and traveling farther in cold dry air than in warm humid air, and also about the cold having immediate negative effects on certain aspects of immunity. The studies I've seen have usually been about the flu virus instead of cold virus, but some of it would transfer over, like the ones about immunity.
What's weird is that for years (decades?) doctors / public health / scientists etc swore up and down that it was a myth that cold temperatures had anything to do with cold infections. It doesn't surprise me now, after seeing the uphill battle it was to get the scientific community to finally, grudgingly accept that COVID is transmitted by floating around the air, sometimes over long distances. Many so-called "scientists" still don't seem to accept this, despite having aerosol engineers break it down for them.
I might believe this. Temperature is an important part of our environment and I'd be surprised if it had no effect on any diseases that may be floating around