The Best Cities to Live With Mild Winter & Summer Temps
- Surrounded by the Rogue River National Forest and vast mountain ranges, Medford, Oregon was chosen in 2009 by Newsweek Magazine as one of the best places to retire, in part due to its mild, gentle climate. Blessed with an abundance of natural outdoor attractions, Medford also boasts an active cultural atmosphere and is home to the annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which typically lasts from February through October. Medford's typical temperatures average a mild 72.9 degrees Fahrenheit in July and 38.1 degrees in January and the city typically averages just 7.3 inches of snowfall per year.
- Located just 20 miles south of the Canadian border, Bellingham, Washington was chosen as one of the best places to live in 2010 by Sperling's Best Places, partly due to its natural beauty and temperate climate. Bellingham's location on the coast of the Pacific Ocean helps to keep its annual snowfall totals to a minimum, typically averaging 11.6 inches total per year. Bellingham's hottest weather is most often seen in July, when daytime highs typically average around 73.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters are generally mild with daytime highs during the coldest months averaging 43.3 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to its gentle climate, Bellingham offers a growing arts culture and is just a 90-minute drive to downtown Seattle.
- Chosen by Newsweek in 2009 as one of 10 small towns that make great places to retire, Brevard, North Carolina offers mountain views, a wealth of shopping opportunities and a temperate, four-season climate. Known as the "Land of Waterfalls" Brevard is home to more than 200 waterfalls which flow directly from the area's mountain streams. According to Climate Chart, an online weather tracking and information service, daily highs in Brevard average 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit during the hottest month of July and 35.4 degrees Fahrenheit during the coldest month of January, with a yearly annual snowfall of only 6.2 inches.
- Home to over 250 arts museums, Santa Fe, New Mexico is another pick of Sterling's Best Places to Live for 2010, partly due to its mild daily highs and spectacular scenery. Surrounded by 1.5 million acres of national forest, Santa Fe's climate is protected from harsher weather and results in much milder daily highs than are often seen in other areas of the state. Typical daily highs in the height of summer average 70.1 degrees Fahrenheit, while typical highs during January average around 38.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Snowfall is typically seen in only the higher elevations, which average around 32 inches of snow per year.