Top 5 US Major Cities with the best climate (better, Los Angeles, people)

[BSL63087]

List your top 5 US major cities that you think have the best climate. It could vary as some people prefer different types of weather, so there's no real right or wrong answers just looking to see what people think.

[SpeedyAZ]

This should be an interesting thread since climate varies from person to person.

Personally I like a hot climate (hence why I live in Phoenix). I can take a HOT day with little humidity much better than I can take a cold day. I'm also a sun-worshipper, I NEED SUN! So my top 5 cities with the best climate:

1) Las Vegas, NV
2) Phoenix, AZ
3) San Diego, CA
4) Fresno, CA
5) Tucson, AZ

[Katarina Witt]

Maybe there should be a condition that one has actually experienced these climaes!

[dullnboring]

Hmmmm. This is tough, but I'm going to go with....

1. San Diego
2. Los Angeles
3. San Jose (I'd say San Francisco, but it stays a bit too cool in the summer for me)
4. Albuquerque
5. El Paso

With that said however, strangely enough, when I lived in Los Angeles, I found myself missing the occasional grey and dreary day and found the same weather day in and day out (no matter how gorgeous) tedious. I just think I'm one of those people who weather-wise, the grass is always greener on the other side.

[GraniteStater]

This is going to depend on your individual preferences.

Best Climate (Coastal) - Moderate temperatures all year with varying amounts of precipitation.
1) Monterey, CA
2) Santa Barbara, CA
3) San Diego, CA
4) Brookings, OR
5) San Francisco, CA/ San Jose, CA

Best Climate (Interior)
1) Santa Fe, NM (dry semi-arid climate)
2) Colorado Springs, CO (dry semi-arid climate)
3) Crossville, TN (moderate 4 season climate)
4) St. Louis, MO (moderate 4 season climate)
5) Lexington, KY (moderate 4 season climate)

[vegaspilgrim]

Here are what I consider the top three different climate regions of the western US, with the best example of each:

1. The California coast. Within this region, San Diego, CA is #1. I don't need to explain that! Their ONLY flaw is the so-called June Gloom-- but I'd rather have some cool mist than put up with 115 degree temperatures!
2. The high elevation/ semi-arid interior west. Within this region, Albuquerque, NM is #1. Not warm enough for palm trees, but much warmer and drier than Denver. Albuquerque is basically the warmest climate you can get and still have four seasons.
3. The low elevation, hot deserts. Hotter than hell in the summer, which lasts a long time, but very nice for the rest of the year (Nov-Apr). Within this region, Tucson, AZ is #1. Tucson is usually a couple of degrees cooler than Phoenix and Vegas, which doesn't sound like much, but it makes a big difference. It cools down more at night and gets more rain in the summer, which helps prevent the temperatures from getting too extreme. El Centro, CA, Bullhead City, AZ and Yuma, AZ have the absolute worst desert climate-- we're talking temperatures regularly in the 120s!

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Here are what I consider the top three different climate regions of the western US, with the best example of each:

1. The California coast. Within this region, San Diego, CA is #1. I don't need to explain that! Their ONLY flaw is the so-called June Gloom-- but I'd rather have some cool mist than put up with 115 degree temperatures!
2. The high elevation/ semi-arid interior west. Within this region, Albuquerque, NM is #1. Not warm enough for palm trees, but much warmer and drier than Denver. Albuquerque is basically the warmest climate you can get and still have four seasons.
3. The low elevation, hot deserts. Hotter than hell in the summer, which lasts a long time, but very nice for the rest of the year (Nov-Apr). Within this region, Tucson, AZ is #1. Tucson is usually a couple of degrees cooler than Phoenix and Vegas, which doesn't sound like much, but it makes a big difference. It cools down more at night and gets more rain in the summer, which helps prevent the temperatures from getting too extreme. El Centro, CA, Bullhead City, AZ and Yuma, AZ have the absolute worst desert climate-- we're talking temperatures regularly in the 120s!

Tuscon is obviously much more tolerable than Phoenix because it does not have the huge urban heat island effect that Phoneix has. Phoenix just does not cool off well at night with all the concrete sprawl related developments everywhere.

[Steve-o]

1. Albuquerque
2. San Diego
3. Honolulu
4. Prescott
5. Miami

[milquetoast]

Other than L. A., with the best weather of any big city on earth, San Diego has weather that can put you to sleep! People keep telling me that Albuquerque is generally mild. Honolulu? Mark Twain said the coldest winter he ever spent, was a summer in San Francisco. Great weather is not so much a matter of opinion. If you feel more comfortable in your backyard than you do in your livingroom, you have great weather.

[KerrTown]

1. Chicago
2. Los Angeles
3. San Francisco
4. New York
5. Boston