I somewhat disagree about the utility factor. (I strongly agree about the fashion aspect of shorts and winter jackets. I see the same thing here in southwest Ohio, and have the same reaction you do: these are folks who don't really spend much time outdoors in the winter - maybe just long enough to hurry from the car into Starbucks because they don't want to wait in the drive-thru line.)

I stay cooler in shorts when I'm hiking in the Ohio Valley forests in the summer. I do admit that I have to be more careful about thorny bushes and ticks than I might have to be in long pants, but the direct sun and hot surfaces aren't a real issue in the forests I frequent.

I still hike in shorts in winter, over mid weight long johns, because I find them less restrictive than long pants when stair-stepping up a steep pitch, or climbing over deadfall. However, the last year or so, I am drifting toward long pants in cool and cold weather - the zip legs seem to be good compromise, since I can start a winter's day in long pants over long johns, then zip off the legs as the temperature rises (if it does) or terrain challenges kick in.