Between seasonal blues and cabin fever, this winter season can be too much for many clients outside the South’s tropical and warm weather.
The Weather Channel ranked 15 U.S. destinations that are promising escapes for people who need a break from Jack Frost and his pal Frosty.
Using weather factors that include the average temperature throughout winter and the amount of sunny days from national resources, researcher Linda Lam and writer Sean Breslin were able to figure out the best places to escape winter.
No. 15. Corpus Christi, Texas
This Texan city along the Gulf Coast has an average high temperature of 70 degrees during winter and around 100 sunny days a year. The Weather Channel considered the city a “mild winter escape” because, though it rarely ever snows, there’s still a chance.
No. 14. San Diego, Calif.
San Diego is sunnier than Corpus Christi with an average of 146 sunny days a year and an average high temperature of 65 degrees in winter, making it a good place to visit to escape the cold. But, the winter season in this city is quite rainy.
No. 13. Phoenix, Ariz.
The Weather Channel considers this desert city perfect for a golfing trip. Average high temperatures range between the 60’s and 70’s during winter months, and Phoenix has an average of 211 sunny days a year.
No. 12. Orlando, Fla.
The home to family fun has an average high of 72 with an average low of 50 degrees. The city also has one of the lowest amounts of rainy days compared to other cities on the list.
No. 11. Hilo, Hawaii
According to The Weather Channel, this city has the most consistent weather. With lows usually in the 60s, an average high of 79 in the winter and 11 hours of sunlight, this might be the best place to escape the freezing cold.
No. 10. Lihue, Hawaii
Located on the island of Kaua, this small city’s temperatures range between a low of 60 and a high of 80. And like it’s sister Hilo, the days are long.
No. 9. Tampa, Fla.
Though it’s possible to experience two of Tampa’s cold’s nights out of the year, chances are the other days will make up for it. Tampa gets around 20 rainy days during the winter and the average high temperature is 70 degrees.
No. 8. West Palm Beach, Fla.
This city has absolutely no chance of snow, according to The Weather Channel. The average highs in the winter are in the mid-70s and the lows stay at 55 degrees and above. However, be prepared to catch some rain if you decide to vacation there; there’s 26 percent chance of rain in winter months.
No. 7. Yuma, Ariz.
Tropical places are fun, if you’re OK with rain. If you’re not, then desert cities are The Weather Channel’s suggestion. Yuma sees only seven rainy days throughout the winter season. Out of all the cities on this list, Yuma has the most sunny days -- 242 of pure sunshine.
No. 6. Brownsville, Texas
This city lies close to the Gulf of Mexico and has an average high of 70-degrees.
No. 5. Miami, Fla.
Vacationers will experience Miami’s pop-up storms for sure, but thankfully they’re short lived. The average wintertime high is 80 degrees.
No. 4. Fort Myers, Fla.
The Weather Channel considers this city to be a good for boating, golfing and beach trips. The average high temperature is in the mid-70s and there are less than 20 rainy days from December to March.
No. 3. Honolulu, Hawaii
The capital of Hawaii sees an average high in the 80s and lows in the mid-60s.
No. 2. Kahului, Hawaii
You’ve probably noticed that Hawaiian cities took more than a few spots on this list, and rightfully so. The trend stops here, though. Kahului, located on the island of Maui, has an average high of 81 and an average low of 63 degrees. This town also sees more sunny days than Hawaii’s capital.
No. 1. Key West, Fla.
Key West takes the crown for being the best winter escape. The number of sunny days in the winter is similar to non-winter months. The average high is in the mid-70s and the average low is in the mid-60s.
