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Best Weather by State 2024
Climate preferences are highly personal. Some people prefer cold weather, some prefer hot, and some like it right in the middle. Some people prefer to have all four seasons – fall, winter, spring, and summer – and all of the weather that comes with each.
Other people would love for it to be summer all year round. If someone is looking to move to a new state, for a vacation spot, or for a location to retire, it’s helpful to know which states in the U.S. have the best weather year-round.
This type of information can be especially helpful for individuals who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression affected by the seasons, typically starting in the fall and lasting through the winter, and then going away during the spring and summer. Those looking to relocate affected by SAD will most likely want to find a home where the weather is favorable and warm all year.
The "Best" Weather
What states have the best weather? When evaluating each state for temperature, rain, and sun, some states stand out. Although climate and weather preferences are personal and subjective, some criteria are considered to make up the best weather, according to Current Results:
- Comfortable temperatures from 63°F to 86°F for more than half of the year.
- Dry weather with no more than 60 inches of rain per year.
- Mostly clear skies with an average of sunshine for at least 60% of the year.
Based on these criteria, California has the best weather in all 50 states. Coastal cities in south and central California, such as San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Santa Barbara, experience only 20 inches of rain per year and temperatures typically between the low 60s and 85 degrees.
Los Angeles reports sunshine for 73% of the year. The ten states in the U.S. with the best weather are California, Hawaii, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Delaware, North Carolina, and Louisiana.
States Ranked By Weather Conditions
Because weather preferences are so personal, the following table has the most prominent weather conditions that could affect your attraction to specific states. The table includes the hottest, coldest, rainiest, snowiest, and sunniest states, as well as how many droughts, wildfires, severe storms, hurricanes, and floods have occurred in each state between the years 2007 and 2016.
- The temperatures are based on data collected by weather stations throughout each state during the years 1971 to 2000 and made available by the NOAA National Climatic Data Center of the United States
- The measure of sunlight, kJ/m�, stands for kilojoules per square meter, a measure of surface energy or radiance.
State | Average Temp °F | Average Temp °C | Avg Annual Snowfall (in) | Average Annual Sunlight (kJ/m²) | Mean Annual Precipitation (in) | # Of Exreme Weather Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 70.7 | 21.5 | 0.01 | 4,859 | 54.57 | 10 |
| Hawaii | 70 | 21.1 | 0 | 63.7 | 0 | |
| Louisiana | 66.4 | 19.1 | 0.2 | 4,725 | 60.09 | 16 |
| Texas | 64.8 | 18.2 | 1.36 | 5,137 | 28.87 | 48 |
| Georgia | 63.5 | 17.5 | 0.76 | 4,661 | 50.72 | 27 |
| Mississippi | 63.4 | 17.4 | 0.71 | 4,693 | 59.23 | 20 |
| Alabama | 62.8 | 17.1 | 0.57 | 4,660 | 58.28 | 23 |
| South Carolina | 62.4 | 16.9 | 1.5 | 4,624 | 49.84 | 18 |
| Arkansas | 60.4 | 15.8 | 4.04 | 4,724 | 50.78 | 23 |
| Arizona | 60.3 | 15.7 | 4.76 | 5,755 | 13.61 | 12 |
| Oklahoma | 59.6 | 15.3 | 5.88 | 4,912 | 36.55 | 35 |
| California | 59.4 | 15.2 | 3.76 | 5,050 | 22.2 | 14 |
| North Carolina | 59 | 15 | 5.03 | 4,466 | 50.45 | 23 |
| Tennessee | 57.6 | 14.2 | 4.61 | 4,486 | 54.22 | 26 |
| Kentucky | 55.6 | 13.1 | 8.83 | 4,383 | 48.98 | 22 |
| Delaware | 55.3 | 12.9 | 16.94 | 4,232 | 45.68 | 7 |
| Virginia | 55.1 | 12.8 | 14.85 | 4,354 | 44.39 | 22 |
| Missouri | 54.5 | 12.5 | 12.67 | 4,545 | 42.23 | 29 |
| Kansas | 54.3 | 12.4 | 15.42 | 4,890 | 28.92 | 33 |
| Maryland | 54.2 | 12.3 | 20.61 | 4,267 | 44.64 | 19 |
| New Mexico | 53.4 | 11.9 | 22.74 | 5,642 | 14.63 | 13 |
| New Jersey | 52.7 | 11.5 | 23.73 | 4,056 | 47.15 | 15 |
| Illinois | 51.8 | 11 | 21.75 | 4,380 | 39.32 | 30 |
| West Virginia | 51.8 | 11 | 25.13 | 4,146 | 45.3 | 7 |
| Indiana | 51.7 | 10.9 | 21.93 | 4,267 | 41.72 | 23 |
| Ohio | 50.7 | 10.4 | 26.63 | 4,139 | 39.16 | 18 |
| Rhode Island | 50.1 | 10.1 | 38.85 | 3,989 | 47.98 | 5 |
| Nevada | 49.9 | 9.9 | 18.83 | 5,296 | 9.54 | 10 |
| Connecticut | 49 | 9.4 | 37.85 | 3,988 | 50.39 | 9 |
| Nebraska | 48.8 | 9.3 | 28.12 | 4,685 | 23.63 | 16 |
| Pennsylvania | 48.8 | 9.3 | 35.84 | 3,939 | 43.02 | 23 |
| Utah | 48.6 | 9.2 | 40.99 | 4,887 | 12.26 | 7 |
| Oregon | 48.4 | 9.1 | 10.91 | 3,830 | 27.55 | 12 |
| Washington | 48.3 | 9.1 | 15.57 | 3,467 | 38.78 | 10 |
| Massachusetts | 47.9 | 8.8 | 51.05 | 3,944 | 47.88 | 6 |
| Iowa | 47.8 | 8.8 | 31.27 | 4,331 | 34.05 | 21 |
| New York | 45.4 | 7.4 | 55.32 | 3,904 | 41.9 | 19 |
| South Dakota | 45.2 | 7.3 | 37.43 | 4,332 | 20.14 | 8 |
| Colorado | 45.1 | 7.3 | 67.3 | 4,960 | 15.97 | 22 |
| Idaho | 44.4 | 6.9 | 36.49 | 4,251 | 18.96 | 13 |
| Michigan | 44.4 | 6.9 | 60.66 | 4,018 | 32.84 | 12 |
| New Hampshire | 43.8 | 6.6 | 71.44 | 3,891 | 43.42 | 4 |
| Wisconsin | 43.1 | 6.2 | 45.79 | 4,023 | 32.64 | 13 |
| Vermont | 42.9 | 6.1 | 89.25 | 3,826 | 42.82 | 3 |
| Montana | 42.7 | 5.9 | 37.28 | 3,847 | 15.37 | 11 |
| Wyoming | 42 | 5.6 | 51 | 4,471 | 12.97 | 10 |
| Minnesota | 41.2 | 5.1 | 43.43 | 3,968 | 27.44 | 12 |
| Maine | 41 | 5 | 77.28 | 3,815 | 42.28 | 2 |
| North Dakota | 40.4 | 4.7 | 37 | 3,925 | 17.82 | 5 |
| Alaska | 26.6 | -3 | 64.46 | 22.7 | 3 |