I'd say it's because the warm side is a little too HOT (you want the warm side not over 31*-32* C) & the cool side is a bit TOO cool (you want it above 23*-24* C).
So if that requires a second heat source -ON A THERMOSTAT-please! -then that's what you need to do to keep him healthy "in a cold climate". BPs aren't the most practical snakes to keep in a cold house, but if you work at getting it right, you can be successful.
As far as him FEELING cold to you when you pick him up, that's a whole other thing that won't really change. Because snakes ALWAYS "feel" cold to us, since our bodies function at 37* C- and that makes it hard to judge just by "feel", so always use an accurate method of measuring the temperatures too. (I'm assuming you already do.)