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6 Best States to Live if You Hate the Cold

Jon Fesmire | January 6, 2022 @ 7:40 AM

The U.S. experiences every type of weather, from freezing, snowy mountains and cities to hot, dry deserts. Where you choose to live depends a lot on the type of climate you want.

Some people hate the heat, and some hate the cold. Now that it’s winter and temperatures are dropping, we focused on those of you who can’t stand the cold. If you’re considering moving to a warmer state, here are our suggestions.

Hawaii

If you want to live somewhere warm, but not blazing hot, year-round, you can’t beat Hawaii. Average temperatures fluctuate throughout the year, but not by much. In January, you can expect the low temperatures in the mid-60s and high temperatures in the high 70s. In August, the range is between about 73 and 86 degrees.

Plus, Hawaii is a gorgeous place to live. You’re never far from the beach, the food is unique and delicious, and the foliage is beautiful.

California

When we mention California on this list, really we’re talking about the Southern California and the Central Coast. If you want to live somewhere that gets warm in the summer but doesn’t get too cold in the winter, these are great places to move to. California gets snow up in the mountains, but rarely at lower elevations.

The Central Coast area has temperate, Mediterranean weather. It can get into the 90s during the summer but usually stays in the high 70s and low 80s, and in the winter you’ll get weather from the mid-40s to the mid-70s. Southern California weather stays in the 80s and 90s, and sometimes go higher, during the summer. It gets warm weather the rest of the year, too, even in the winter, though in winter the temperature often ranges between about 40 and 60 degrees. If you’re used to freezing temperatures, that’s a clear improvement.

Texas

Maybe you’re looking for genuinely hot weather, consider Texas, which gets hotter than Southern California in many places and remains warm in the winter. Like California, Texas is a vast state, so the climate will be a little different depending on where you live exactly.

Let’s look at Austin. The temperatures there are like Southern California, ranging from the 40s to 60s in January and from the mid-70s to the mid-90s in the summer. Texas gets 36 inches of rain a year with 235 sunny days.

Arizona

If you’ve traveled to Arizona, you’ve probably heard someone say, “Yeah, but it’s a dry heat.” Arizona gets hot with low humidity. You’ll find winters comfortable, ranging from the high 40s to the low 70s. Summers get hot. In July, the temperature ranges from the low 80s to about 105. That’s not for everyone, but if you like feeling toasty, then Arizona might just be your state. We do encourage you to keep your air conditioning in good working order.

Florida

Does it get hot in Florida? You bet, but so much of the state is near the beach that you always have opportunities to cool down. In lovely cities like Daytona Beach, Orlando, and Tampa, the temperature ranges from the mid-70s to the low-90s in the summer. In the winter, the range is from about 50 to 70 degrees.

Florida is also the most humid state in the nation, and humidity can make hot weather feel hotter. It can also exacerbate respiratory conditions. However, it’s a popular place for many elderly to retire to when they want to feel warm. If you have a respiratory condition and are interested in moving to Florida, we encourage you to talk to your doctor about how the humidity may affect you.

South Carolina

Let’s be clear: in the winter, South Carolina gets cold, though rarely do temperatures get to freezing (range from 35 to 55 degrees). Summers are warm to comfortably hot though, with temperatures between 70 and 92.

South Carolina gets about 48 inches of rainfall per year, 10 inches more than the U.S. average, and has 216 sunny days a year. Yes, it also gets high humidity, so in the summer stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible.

Do you need a place to keep your belongings while you move, or somewhere to store off-season clothes, sports equipment, or business inventory? Then we can help. Check the StorageFront listings for self storage facilities near you.

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