What part of the USA has the best weather?

[Steve Mac]

I know Hawaii is great, but what part of mainland are there no cold winters or hot summers.

Is there a state or region with no extremes where it is just warm all year?

And hopefully no fires or flood likely either. 

[Zeeth]

Hawaii is for sure #1.

Here's an interesting thread on the difference between Florida and the other areas in the US usually considered to have "good" weather:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/42588-heat-and-humidity-v-heat-without-humidity/#comment-656290

[Yunder Wækraus]

What do you consider hot? The CA coast from Santa Barbara south is hard to beat. I prefer Florida because of the extra humidity and summer rain. If money is no issue, the barrier island in Jupiter Florida is one of the most beautiful and fun places I've seen in the USA. I know I'd choose it over most of the CA coast. To me, anything under 65F is too cold, and anything over 85 is too hot. San Diego and coastal S. FL fit the bill for me.

[RedRabbit]

It's no contest, SoCal is by far the best place I've been. That doesn't just include the  US either, California is just a really special place.

[NorCalKing]

Yeah hard to top Cali. Especially if you don't like bugs. Florida has WAY too many bugs. Other than that, S. Fl is a close second.

[RedRabbit]

17 minutes ago, NorCalKing said:

Yeah hard to top Cali. Especially if you don't like bugs. Florida has WAY too many bugs. Other than that, S. Fl is a close second.

I don't think S. FL is a close second really. I remember being in Miami one February and it was already 90f. You don't really get a break down there. Within Florida I think somewhere like Sarasota might actually be best since winter is more pleasant and it still doesn't really ever freeze...

That is kind of splitting hairs though, overall Cali > everywhere else by a mile.

[Yunder Wækraus]

14 minutes ago, NorCalKing said:

Yeah hard to top Cali. Especially if you don't like bugs. Florida has WAY too many bugs. Other than that, S. Fl is a close second.

My least favorite thing about coastal So.Cal is the lack of tropical life. (The desert, especially the palm oases outside of Palm Springs, don't have this problem.) Our barrier island in Central Florida is too far north for all of the cool exotic reptiles to get established, which makes me sad. We drove down to Jupiter, FL (about 100 miles south) earlier this month to snorkel and spearfish. When were done with our beach fun, we drove past some of the rich folks' homes on the island there.

Halfway through our drive, a basilisk lizard (http://www.sea-way.org/blog/JesusLizard_10.JPG) ran out in front of our car on its hind legs like a real-deal velociraptor and jumped in the air to grab a flying bug; it ran back (again, on just two legs) before I could even process what I had seen and react. My wife and kids all agreed that it was very cool. (We've had similar nifty experiences with huge green iguanas and agama lizards in other parts of South Florida.) If I lived in San Diego, I'd probably try to find out which large reptiles could survive in the wild there and let them go on my property :-)

[Yunder Wækraus]

5 minutes ago, RedRabbit said:

I don't think S. FL is a close second really. I remember being in Miami one February and it was already 90f. You don't really get a break down there. Within Florida I think somewhere like Sarasota might actually be best since winter is more pleasant and it still doesn't really ever freeze...

That is kind of splitting hairs though, overall Cali > everywhere else by a mile.

I suppose tastes are affected by background and hobbies. I loved living in Santa Barbara. It was beautiful, and the weather was mild and enjoyable everyday. I'd say that Santa Barbara (and San Diego, where both my brother and brother-in-law lived at that time) was perfect for low-key fun.  But it never felt right for me. I pined for something tropical the whole time. When we moved back to the Bay Area in NorCal, I used to take my kids to the Steinhart in Golden Gate Part every other month. I would always drag them through the rainforest dome and smell the humid air and imagine myself back in Florida (or SE Asia).

There really is nothing like summer rain clouds throwing lighting over the Atlantic in one direction while clear sun in cloudless sky shines from another direction. I also love the sound of cicadas in the summer, and the tropical zebra butterflies flitting about, and the geckos and anoles scurrying around the house, and the manatees and tortoises that pop up in the middle of town, and the sea turtle nesting season, and the ibises, and storks, and gators...

I've only been to Arizona a few times, but the outskirts of Tucson (in a very different way) seem to have that same cool *real* vibe found in South Florida (and, to a lesser extent, coastal Central Florida). I'd love to experience an AZ monsoon. I just wish AZ had coastline too :-)

[Hammer]

Best weather?  Depends on what you like.  If weather that gives palms explosive growth is your favorite, then Hawaii is for you.

Weather that typically appeals to most humans?  Southern California hands down.  Of course there are days and weeks when it isn't perfect, but for the most part it is hard to beat. Even on nasty hot days it cools enough after sunset to open the windows at night.

That said, I spent some pretty pleasant time in Polynesia as long as you were on the windward side of the islands. 

[Steve Mac]

Thanks guys that was the info I was after.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

The Southern California coast is the place to be weather-wise. 

[palmsOrl]

SE Florida, if the question pertains to growing the largest number of palm species well.  With rainfall in most palm growing areas of CA being almost non-existant on average, especially during the growing season, I would not even consider CA on the list for the types of palms I want to grow.  Yeah, I would say tropical Florida is highest on the list on the US mainland.  Sure, it is buggy, hot and extremely humid, but that kind of goes along with cultivating tropical palms in a suitable climate.

Best》Worst (relatively speaking)

SE Florida

Coastal S Florida as a whole

Coastal Central FL, south of Clearwater and Merritt Island

Coastal Southern Texas

Warmer areas of inland central Fl

Zone 10b and 11 microclimates in Southern/Central CA

Parts of Arizona, like Phoenix

US Gulf coast as a whole

 

As for personal preference, I like heaps of rain, stormy weather and I also like 4 seasons with a real, snowy winter.  S Cali does not have what I am looking for.  It is beautiful though.  Hard to beat San Diego for comfortable but monotonous weather year round.

Edited August 26, 2016 by palmsOrl
add sentence

[BS Man about Palms]

I'm lucky enough enough to live in northern Coastal San Diego county.. great people weather... plant growing weather,yeah, a bit,  but full of humidity and warmth it is not.. 

 

My tag line describes it

[NorCalKing]

1 hour ago, palmsOrl said:

SE Florida, if the question pertains to growing the largest number of palm species well.  With rainfall in most palm growing areas of CA being almost non-existant on average, especially during the growing season, I would not even consider CA on the list for the types of palms I want to grow.  Yeah, I would say tropical Florida is highest on the list on the US mainland.  Sure, it is buggy, hot and extremely humid, but that kind of goes along with cultivating tropical palms in a suitable climate.

Best》Worst (relatively speaking)

SE Florida

Coastal S Florida as a whole

Coastal Central FL, south of Clearwater and Merritt Island

Coastal Southern Texas

Warmer areas of inland central Fl

Zone 10b and 11 microclimates in Southern/Central CA

Parts of Arizona, like Phoenix

US Gulf coast as a whole

 

As for personal preference, I like heaps of rain, stormy weather and I also like 4 seasons with a real, snowy winter.  S Cali does not have what I am looking for.  It is beautiful though.  Hard to beat San Diego for comfortable but monotonous weather year round.

For palms? Sure.

For enjoying the outdoors? Not a chance. Try playing a round of golf, midday in Miami in July. Good luck, hope you brought a change of clothes. Sitting out on an unscreened patio at night? Not a chance. You will be eaten alive. Fire ants, roaches, other critters, etc. No thanks. But each to his own.

Edit: Also, let's not forget Cali (other than the mountains) gets little, to no snow. Or those famous polar vortex' that swoop down to below even Orlando every few years. 

Edited August 26, 2016 by NorCalKing

[SubTropicRay]

Personally, I love the climate of New Mexico's high desert.  Yes it can get cold at times but the change of seasons is subtle and amazing. The Pacific Coast from San Francisco through southern Oregon would be a close second.  As for palm growing, give me the Florida Keys.  The often oppressive humidity lasts about 7 months a year but the other 5 months (Nov - March) are pretty fantastic. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

Southern coast California ,,, no hurricane season.

[palmsOrl]

The only thing about the Keys is the lack of rain compared to the SE FL mainland.  With added irrigation, the FL Keys easily win for palm growing.

For comfort, I agree that FL is NOT comfortable at all for much of the year and that almost anywhere in Coastal CA beats FL by a mile.

For a climate to spend my life in give me the mid-Atlantic to Southern New England.  I love all the seasons and even love regular snowfall and cold blustery days where I can enjoy an invigorating walk in a coat.  I am in the minority of individuals who actually enjoy cold weather(20-50F), so again it all comes down to personal preference.  I like to keep a lush garden (esp tropical, but lush temperate gardens are everywhere in the Northeast too) so a desert climate is amazing for golfing and being outdoors doing all kinds of recreation, but I would not want to live there.

[Palmaceae]

That is a hard question as if you want to grow palms like I do here in Cape Coral, Fl, you have to live in a very humid environment. Sure Hawaii would be great but most do not have that blessing to live there.  I have been to California a couple times and it was comfortable while I was there, but I like more rain.

I agree with PalmsOrl, I like the change of seasons also and do like snow. I have lived most of my life in the mid west but have lived in Florida for 20 years now, first in the 80's and 90s, and now since 2014. It is getting harder for me to work out in the yard in the summer but I love palms and love growing them, and looking out my window and seeing coconut palms. 

So for comfort wise up north but for growing palms, Florida.

[Steve Mac]

Thanks people.

[Cindy Adair]

I know your question is about "mainland" US, but don't discount Puerto Rico. For palm growing the mountains around 1000 ft. here are great.

No need for a/c and cheap land, so even for just a second home (or retire earlier option) it is doable for me. Easy access to the states and my city water bill runs about $30 monthly. 

I saw the news about the Orlando, FL shooting while I was in Borneo and from the coverage there, one would have thought Florida was a terrifically dangerous place to live. So don't believe the snapshots about PR that make the news either.

It is great that there are many palms to fit most locations isn't it?

[Xhoniwaters1]

[Xhoniwaters1]

5 minutes ago, Xhoniwaters1 said:

[displaced_floridian]

On ‎8‎/‎24‎/‎2016‎ ‎12‎:‎33‎:‎12‎, gtsteve said:

I know Hawaii is great, but what part of mainland are there no cold winters or hot summers.

Is there a state or region with no extremes where it is just warm all year?

And hopefully no fires or flood likely either. 

For humans, I'd vote for coastal SoCal.  Rarely gets over 85 in summer and rarely gets below 40 in winter. However, most nights in the winter are in the 40s, so that rules out a lot of tropical species. So FL has milder winters, with lows in January in upper 50s-low 60s and highs in mid 70s. So, for palm growing, it's coastal S. Fla and the Keys---you can grow just about anything there. If I was rich I'd spend summers in Encinitas, CA, and winters in Hollywood, FL.

[Yunder Wækraus]

51 minutes ago, displaced_floridian said:

For humans, I'd vote for coastal SoCal.  Rarely gets over 85 in summer and rarely gets below 40 in winter. However, most nights in the winter are in the 40s, so that rules out a lot of tropical species. So FL has milder winters, with lows in January in upper 50s-low 60s and highs in mid 70s. So, for palm growing, it's coastal S. Fla and the Keys---you can grow just about anything there. If I was rich I'd spend summers in Encinitas, CA, and winters in Hollywood, FL.

If I were that rich, I would just buy property on a Barrier Island in Jupiter Florida (or comparable location farther south) and spend summer days diving in the water to snorkel and spearfish and winters outdoors inland enjoying my tropical garden :-)

[PalmTreeDude]

Is South West Florida good for palms? Around Naples and Cape Coral.

[Palmaceae]

1 hour ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Is South West Florida good for palms? Around Naples and Cape Coral.

Yes, if you like coconut palms, they are everywhere! We are in a 10a climate, (in some areas 10b) and I purposely chose Cape Coral when we moved back to Florida in 2014.

[RedRabbit]

2 hours ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Is South West Florida good for palms? Around Naples and Cape Coral.

Anywhere south of Tampa Bay is pretty good if you're by the water. Once you're in the Naples area even inland areas look like 10b based on the what I've  seen planted there... I doubt anywhere in SW Florida is zone 11 though like parts of SE Florida are.

[DoomsDave]

I've lived in Southern California for more than 30 years, and the weather rocks.

Yeah, you can grow more palms in Florida or Hawaii.

But, it's such a pleasure coming back from a visit to Ohio, and no bugs, no snow.

Scatter my ashes in a California palm garden . . . .

[RedRabbit]

On 9/2/2016, 4:32:51, displaced_floridian said:

If I was rich I'd spend summers in Encinitas, CA, and winters in Hollywood, FL.

Sign me up for Malibu and one of the barrier islands by Sarasota (St. Armends Key/Longboat Key/Casey Key.)