Which of these cities have the best 4-season weather? (better, states, beautiful)

[Bayarea4]

I voted for San Francisco because I took the question to be: What city has the best weather on average during all four seasons? San Francisco has a mild Mediterranean climate. Our daytime highs usually stay between 50-70 all year round.

[Garfieldian]

Originally Posted by Bayarea4

I voted for San Francisco because I took the question to be: What city has the best weather on average during all four seasons? San Francisco has a mild Mediterranean climate. Our daytime highs usually stay between 50-70 all year round.

Yet you have no hot weather for people who like catching rays at the beach. Nor no winter for people who like having a white christmas. It's perpetual spring, and perpetual fall. Great weather, but can you say 4 seasons? It's more seasons of green Nov-April and Gold May-October. Please do not say you can "drive to Tahoe in 3 hours" or drive somewhere else for sun and warm temps, b/c that isn't San Francisco now is it? California has some nice and great weather in parts, but San Francisco weather isn't that great, it's fairly chilly year round and jacket weather almost every night year round. I think San Francisco actually has the least variation of weather among major cities along with San Diego, moderated by the Pacific.

[Mezter]

Originally Posted by west336

Lemme try to define seasons:

Spring: wet, mild temps, variable temps can be close to hot* or close to cold*, sprouting greens and signs of life
Summer: warm/hot, drier than spring, lush green environment, everything fully grown
Fall: wet, mild temps, variable temps can be close to hot* or cold* , greenery turning into colors
Winter: cold*, snow/sleet/ice common, snow on the ground >40% of the time, no/little greenery

Hot: >85-90
Cold: <35-40
Warm: 65-85

Based on these parameters, the only cities that experience a "true winter" (as defined) are the Northernmost cities, with the most Southerly being places like Philly or DC, or possibly Denver, KC or STL.

I don't understand this. You don't think these cities have defined Winters?

[Ben Around]

Denver. Warm>hot but dry summer days with cool summer evenings, lengthy autumn (past Thanksgiving), lovely spring and non-boring winters (one day cold, one day warm, occasional snowstorms but the snow melts fast, and lots of sun).

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

Two words: mild winters.

What about the other 3 seasons?

[CurlyFries]

Boston - Hot summers, snowy winters
Chicago - Very hot summers, snowy winters
New York City - Very hot summers, snow in the winter (but not as much as Boston and Chicago)
DC - Very hot summers (hotter than NY), moderate winters
Atlanta - Extremely long and hot summers, mild winters
Memphis - Very hot summers (hotter than DC), moderate winters
Kansas City - Very hot summers (about the same as DC), moderate winters
Denver - Very hot but dry summers, snowy but sunny winters (also warmer than Chicago)
Seattle - Mild weather year round
San Fransisco - Mild weather year round (warmer than Seattle in the winter)
Minneapolis - Hot summers, extremely cold and snowy winters (Makes East Coast winters feel like a breeze)
Orlando - Extremely long and hot summers, no winters (warm all year)

[west336]

Originally Posted by Garfieldian

But that is a pretty narrow definition especially considering the vast differences in climate in just the U.S. alone...




But according to your definition, the best zones should be on the line of green and blue. Which confirms my initial post that the best would be Western NC, Eastern TN and parts of VA.

The dark blue areas are what I would consider "brutal" winters. And the northern parts of the light blue can often get bad winters, but not every year is "brutal", such as the case with bordering zones like Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Des Moines. Many years will be a true winter, but maybe every 3-4 years will be a nasty one with repetitive sub zero days as the Arctic high comes down for an extended stay.

According to my definition the best places are where I SAID they were.....not what you think I said. Virginia, TN and NC don't have winter, sorry. Not even close. A "taste" of ice and snow is not winter, just like a 90 degree day in Seattle doesn't make Seattle's summers "sultry" or hot. C'mon.....you live in a bubble, man!

This is just MY definition of winter, as I perceive it. It's not for everyone else who lives in MODERATE climates (ahem, by which they brag about ALL THE TIME on this forum, btw!!!). You can't claim your city/state has awesome weather on the one hand, with mild/non-existent winters, and then claim you have a true winter on the other. I'm not buying it!

Besides, according to that inaccurate map Minneapolis has "cool summers" while Boston, Detroit, New York, Cleveland, etc. don't, yet Minneapolis is warmer than all but maybe Chicago (tied) during summer.......I have the data to back that up.

[west336]

Originally Posted by Mezter

I don't understand this. You don't think these cities have defined Winters?

They are borderline between definitive winters and not....I've lived in STL, I feel qualified to pass judgement on that city at least. I don't necessarily think that cold rain and the occassional snow storm, followed by 70+ degrees is "winter" by most peoples' definition, but I may find that most people don't know what winter is.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by miamiman

Denver and Atlanta seem to have the most balanced seasons out of all those cities.

Denver's winters can be brutally cold, but are often interspersed with very mild weather. Spring and fall are often a mix of cool and warm and summers are hot.

Atlanta's winters are cool by southern standards (low 50s during the day and around 30 at night) with warm spells in the 60s and 70s that can last for weeks at a time. Spring and fall are always temperate and lengthy. Summer is hot, but by southern standards is extremely mild. It rarely hits 100 in Atlanta and rarely, if ever, stays over 80 at night. It is the humidity that make summers uncomfortable there.

Denver's winters are hardly "brutally cold". The average highs in January are all in the 40s, and the record highs are all in the 70s. There are many 50-60 degree days in January/February. There are usually 1-2 cold snaps every winter, where the temps go below zero at night for a few days. The 60" of snow comes in large dumps and is usually gone in a few days.

The summers are hot, many 90degree days and an occasional 100 degrees. I still think it's the best 4 season climate of the cities on the list. The lack of humidity is wonderful. It's almost always sunny.

[Bayarea4]

Originally Posted by Garfieldian

Yet you have no hot weather for people who like catching rays at the beach. Nor no winter for people who like having a white christmas. It's perpetual spring, and perpetual fall. Great weather, but can you say 4 seasons? It's more seasons of green Nov-April and Gold May-October. Please do not say you can "drive to Tahoe in 3 hours" or drive somewhere else for sun and warm temps, b/c that isn't San Francisco now is it? California has some nice and great weather in parts, but San Francisco weather isn't that great, it's fairly chilly year round and jacket weather almost every night year round. I think San Francisco actually has the least variation of weather among major cities along with San Diego, moderated by the Pacific.

Well, as I said, on average San Francisco's weather is temperate year-round. We don't get the extreme heat or the extreme cold. There are some beach days, just not a lot of them and not all summer long.

We have a lot of microclimates within San Francisco. That means it may be sunny in the Castro and Mission District while West of Twin Peaks and the Richmond and Sunset districts are fogged in. So you don't have to drive to Lake Tahoe for sun, just catch a bus or streetcar. After experiencing the hot, humid summer nights in other parts of the country I personally don't mind wearing a light jacket or sweater at night.

I based my vote not on the greatest variations in weather, but on the best overall weather year-round.