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In general, Southern cities are known for hot, humid summers while Midwestern cities are known for bone-chilling winters (and sometimes hot, humid summers as well), but there must be some cities that somehow buck the trend.
One city I have in mind is Asheville which has a high elevation so it gets fairly temperate summers. Are there any other cities in these two regions that have somewhat mild climates through the magic of geography (maybe high elevation for southern cities to moderate the temperature and some kind of mountain range/hills or location in a deep valley for Midwestern cities to protect from cold northern winds)
Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
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Originally Posted by OyCrumbler
In general, Southern cities are known for hot, humid summers while Midwestern cities are known for bone-chilling winters (and sometimes hot, humid summers as well), but there must be some cities that somehow buck the trend.
One city I have in mind is Asheville which has a high elevation so it gets fairly temperate summers. Are there any other cities in these two regions that have somewhat mild climates through the magic of geography (maybe high elevation for southern cities to moderate the temperature and some kind of mountain range/hills or location in a deep valley for Midwestern cities to protect from cold northern winds)
Cincinnati comes to mind
Charlotte as well
Nashville
Knoxville
Louisville
Memphis
The only other major cities in the South besides Asheville, NC with somewhat moderate climates are: Knoxville, TN Johnson City, TN (Tri-Cities), Greenville, SC and Roanoke, VA
If being in a major city isn't a requirement, try Boone, NC. It's a thriving college town of around 30,000 (with students): Average Weather for Boone, NC - Temperature and Precipitation
It rarely goes above 80 degrees in the summer and rarely below 20 degrees in the winter!
To the OP, the Appalachian Mountains are going to give you the only true moderated Summer climate in the Southeast. Last I checked, Charleston qualifies as being in that range and is below the Mason Dixon line.
As for the Midwest, others will have to give you guidance. But, I suspect that the further South you go in the Midwest to moderate the Winter, you are going to run into very hot Summers.
The only other major cities in the South besides Asheville, NC with somewhat moderate climates are: Knoxville, TN Johnson City, TN (Tri-Cities), Greenville, SC and Roanoke, VA
If being in a major city isn't a requirement, try Boone, NC. It's a thriving college town of around 30,000 (with students): Average Weather for Boone, NC - Temperature and Precipitation
It rarely goes above 80 degrees in the summer and rarely below 20 degrees in the winter!
It gets below freezing regularly though?? Yikes...
Midwest might be harder than the South for mild climates. You go to some places at a higher elevation in the Midwest you likely just get some place cold. It's also more interior which tends to cause more extremes.
Most of the Appalachian towns I'm finding range from 20s to 80s. If you want a place that never gets below freezing you're likely going to have to limit yourself to places that are on the coast or get very hot.
The midwest by its very nature is extreme when it comes to climate. Where I live in Michigan the lows can go well below -20F (real temp) in the winter with winchills much much worse. In the summer the high can crack 100 with southern style humidity. Im sure you will find the same extremes in most midwest states, especially here in the upper midwest. Even worse the temperature can change 40 degrees in a matter of hours if a front comes through. Our climate is legendary for its harshness for sure. The only moderator of temperatures is the immediate shoreline of Lake Michigan or Superior( a few miles inland). They pay for that moderation by being in the snowbelt however, as it falls by the foot as lake effect snow. The rest of the region rolls with the extremes in temperature. THe south has the most extreme summers but at least they get a break during the cold season. Our extremes last all year.
Dosn't Charleston, WV get something like 14'' + of snow in January and February. I'd hardly call that "mild."
I'm really not sure, but maybe the area around Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati, Evansville Indiana aren't THAT hot in the summer or THAT cold in the winter.
In the midwest the mildest area is the southernmost areas of it though that depends on where the Midwest ends and the South begins. For example St. Louis rarely gets below zero anymore (last winter being the first time in a decade) along with shorter cold spells. The downside is that heat is more severe and longer, especially the further west you go along this line.
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Yikes...
