To escape extreme heat, top locations include the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, WA), coastal New England (Portland, ME), the upper Midwest (Minneapolis, MN), and high-elevation areas like Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. Coastal regions generally offer milder temperatures, while international options with temperate climates include Bogota, Colombia; Nairobi, Kenya; and coastal California.
Alaska, Hawaii, Northern New England (ie Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine) or the Pacific Northwest. Both of those places, though, will still have some hot days. San Diego, close to the ocean, would also be an option.
Where in the U.S. Does It Stay Cool in the Summer?
San Diego, CA
If you're moving to the West Coast but want to avoid extreme heat, San Diego may be right for you. The city boasts a comfortable temperature range and precipitation totals year-round.
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara has long been recognized as having arguably the best climate in the state with the best weather in the U.S. (California).
The Northeast offers better prospects, particularly Vermont and New Hampshire, which rank as the two safest states from climate change. Vermont stands out as a haven – free from wildfires, extreme heat, and hurricanes.
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New Zealand and Chile are some safe bets for pleasantly chilly weather, but certain Northern Hemisphere countries are good contenders as well such as Ireland and Norway.
1. San Diego, California. San Diego is the poster child for pleasant weather year-round. This Southern California city enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate with average high temperatures of 65 to 77 F (18 to 25 C) throughout the year.
Tips for coping in hot weather
Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down.
1 Vermont, with neighboring New Hampshire in a distant second place. The Northeast is home to the only three states with Climate Change Risk Index scores lower than 100 (Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts).
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San Diego, California
Winter temperatures are pretty mild, seeing temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 21 degrees Celsius) through the daytime in the months of November to May.
California (especially coastal areas like San Diego/LA) and Hawaii are consistently cited for the best year-round weather, offering mild temperatures, abundant sunshine, and low humidity, though California provides more variety with access to snow, while Hawaii boasts tropical warmth with trade winds keeping humidity comfortable. Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico also offer dry, mild winters, while parts of North Carolina and the Pacific Northwest (like Washington) are noted for temperate climates without extreme heat or cold.
Popular Bluff, Missouri, is the cheapest, safest place to live in America. The annual cost of living is $32,941. Violent crime rates are 0.372 and property crime rates are 2.111 for every 1,000 residents. Midwestern cities dominated the top 10, accounting for nine spots.
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Medellín, Colombia. Known as the City of Eternal Spring, Medellín maintains a year-round average temperature of about 72 F (22 C). Located in the Andes Mountains, it avoids extremes of heat and cold.
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Consider heading westward to California's breathtaking coastline. The Pacific Coast Highway is not just a road; it's an experience—a winding ribbon that hugs cliffs while offering jaw-dropping views of crashing waves below.
For low humidity and mild winters, consider the Southwest states like Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, which offer dry desert air and warm winters, or High Plains/Mountain states like Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, offering drier air but cooler, sometimes snowier, but still milder winters than the East, with California's central/southern coast and parts of the Pacific Northwest (like Oregon's high desert) also fitting for their dry heat and temperate conditions.