Best Places for Retirement Based on Weather
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
September 4, 2012 — Weather and climate are important considerations for most people when they think about where they might retire. For some folks, as we have learned, humidity is a four letter word. Winter cold is a scourge for many, while others feel the same way about dust and allergens. Other weather considerations are rain, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, lightning, ice storms, snow, number of days of sunshine. Not exactly weather related, but earthquakes are an issue to worry about too. This short article will provide you with some resources to research the weather wherever you might be considering retiring, so you can make the best choice for your particular preferences.
Just about every part of the country has some weather issue to be concerned about. Along the southern and eastern coasts you get hurricanes and humidity. Tornadoes in the center of the country. Winter cold in the northeast. Earthquakes on the west coast. So your decision needs to be based on your personal priorities – what hazards/downsides are most worrisome balanced against upsides like warm winter weather.
Safest Weather Cities. The safest weather city in the Northeast – Rochester, NY. Maybe not the nicest weather with over 100″ of annual snowfall, but according to Weather.com, it’s the safest from hazards like tornadoes and cyclones. Still want safe: consider #2 – Caribou, Maine, with 110″ of snow and 41 days where the mercury falls below 0 (F.)!
Best Places for Future Livability. This study is all about where you have a chance to live a long life, based on how many people smoke, safe water, etc. Number 1 state – Utah!
Cities by Humidty. The Home page shows you a map comparing relative humidity in areas across the U.S. But you can dig down and find data for just about any area of the country.
15 Happiest Seaside Towns in US. A list developed by USA Today, it uses a complicated formula involving “the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index, sunny days, beach quality, low crime, commute time, education of residents and other factors”. Number 1 happy seaside town – Kiawah Island, SC.
Weather.com. You can see current weather for just about anywhere at Weather.com. But don’t miss the Weather Social Channel, where you search to see weather related Tweets from Twitter for any city (its pretty amazing – try it!).
City-Data.com. This site is extremely useful for finding out just about anything about any town or city in the U.S. And this includes detailed charts showing average temperatures, precipitation, snowfall, wind speed, days of sunshine, and humidity.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Your tax dollars provide a ton of useful information at this site. There is so much it is confusing, but start with the search box at top and type in the city or zip code you are interested in – you’ll get a great forecast!
Weatherbase. A convenient source for detailed weather histories for almost 27,000 cities worldwide.
Comments? What are your biggest weather likes and dislikes? Have you found the spot with the perfect weather and climate for you? Please let us know in the Comments section below.
Don’t miss today’s other new Blog story – “8 Ideas for Being an Amazing Grandparent“
Comments on "Best Places for Retirement Based on Weather"
Ron M. says:
The resources were nice, but I think most of us just wanted to see what part of the country has the best weather! Of course, each author's assumptions make all the difference. My favorite is from Golden Gate Weather Services. Here's the link to their rankings and map: http://ggweather.com/camelot.htm. They call it the Camelot Climate Index