What do Europeans think weather is like in the non coastal US?

I was talking with a coworker in Latvia and she has such a mild winters! It took her till January to get 5 days that dropped below 0C and she has tulips peeking through a bit. It got me thinking, what do Europeans think US weather is like for the middle of the country? I told her about my Colorado Springs experiences and she was shocked!

Do you image weather in the Rockies is like weather in the Alps? What would you guess for sunshine hours and UV indexes? Have you all seen big hailstorms?