Average Climate by City: Monthly Weather Normals for 114 U.S. Cities
What is the weather actually like in the city you are eyeing — not this week, but in a typical January, a typical August, a typical year? That is the question climate normals answer. A "normal" is a 30-year average: the current set, covering 1991–2020, is published by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information from weather-station records across the country, and it is the same baseline the National Weather Service and every weather app quietly use. AverageClimate turns those official normals into a clear month-by-month profile for 114 American cities — average highs and lows, rainfall and snowfall, season-by-season analysis, and a by-the-numbers pick of each city's best months — so you can plan a trip, compare two places to live, or finally win the "but it's a dry heat" argument with data.
Climate rankings from the normals
Every ranking below is computed directly from the 1991–2020 normals in our dataset — no surveys, no vibes. Click any city for its full month-by-month profile.
Warmest cities (yearly mean temperature)
Key West, FL tops the dataset at a 78.9°F yearly mean — its coldest month still averages 70.6°F.
| Key West, FL | 78.9°F |
|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | 78.0°F |
| Miami, FL | 77.5°F |
| Lihue, HI | 76.3°F |
| Brownsville, TX | 76.2°F |
| West Palm Beach, FL | 75.8°F |
| Phoenix, AZ | 75.6°F |
| Fort Myers, FL | 75.4°F |
| Tampa, FL | 74.5°F |
| Hilo, HI | 74.0°F |
Coldest cities (yearly mean temperature)
Fairbanks, AK is the coldest city in the dataset at 28.3°F for the year; its warmest month averages just 62.9°F.
| Fairbanks, AK | 28.3°F |
|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | 37.6°F |
| Duluth, MN | 40.6°F |
| Juneau, AK | 42.1°F |
| Fargo, ND | 42.2°F |
| Bismarck, ND | 43.1°F |
| Missoula, MT | 45.2°F |
| Helena, MT | 45.5°F |
| Green Bay, WI | 45.7°F |
| Rapid City, SD | 46.7°F |
Wettest cities (yearly precipitation)
Hilo, HI collects 120.4 in of precipitation in a normal year — about 29 times the entire annual total of Las Vegas, the driest city in the dataset.
| Hilo, HI | 120.4 in |
|---|---|
| Miami, FL | 67.4 in |
| Mobile, AL | 67.1 in |
| Juneau, AK | 67.0 in |
| New Orleans, LA | 63.4 in |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 61.9 in |
| West Palm Beach, FL | 61.8 in |
| Fort Myers, FL | 57.4 in |
| Jackson, MS | 57.4 in |
| Birmingham, AL | 56.6 in |
Driest cities (yearly precipitation)
Las Vegas, NV is the dataset's driest city at 4.2 in a year, a desert normal that shapes everything from landscaping to water bills.
| Las Vegas, NV | 4.2 in |
|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | 7.2 in |
| Reno, NV | 7.4 in |
| El Paso, TX | 8.8 in |
| Albuquerque, NM | 8.8 in |
| San Diego, CA | 9.8 in |
| Tucson, AZ | 10.6 in |
| Bend, OR | 10.6 in |
| Santa Fe, NM | 10.7 in |
| Fresno, CA | 11.0 in |
Snowiest cities (yearly snowfall)
Among cities with published snowfall normals, Rochester, NY leads at 102.0 in a year — lake effect doing what lake effect does.
| Rochester, NY | 102.0 in |
|---|---|
| Buffalo, NY | 95.4 in |
| Boulder, CO | 92.8 in |
| Duluth, MN | 90.2 in |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 90.1 in |
| Juneau, AK | 87.6 in |
| Burlington, VT | 87.5 in |
| Anchorage, AK | 77.9 in |
| Grand Rapids, MI | 77.6 in |
| Portland, ME | 68.7 in |
Biggest seasonal swings (warmest minus coldest month)
Fairbanks, AK swings 71.2°F between its coldest and warmest month means — four genuine seasons, whether residents want them or not.
| Fairbanks, AK | 71.2°F |
|---|---|
| Fargo, ND | 61.5°F |
| Bismarck, ND | 58.5°F |
| Minneapolis, MN | 58.1°F |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 56.5°F |
| Duluth, MN | 55.8°F |
| Des Moines, IA | 53.7°F |
| Omaha, NE | 53.7°F |
| Madison, WI | 52.5°F |
| Green Bay, WI | 52.2°F |
Browse all cities
Pick a city to see its complete climate profile: the full 12-month normals table with temperature-band coloring, a season-by-season read, its best and worst months to visit, and how it compares with the typical American city.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona — Arizona overview
Arkansas
California — California overview
Colorado — Colorado overview
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida — Florida overview
Georgia — Georgia overview
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York — New York overview
North Carolina — North Carolina overview
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon — Oregon overview
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas — Texas overview
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington — Washington overview
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Climate FAQ
What are climate normals?
Climate normals are 30-year averages of weather — temperature, precipitation, snowfall — computed by NOAA for thousands of U.S. stations. The current set covers 1991–2020 and is the standard reference for describing a place's typical climate.
Where does the data on AverageClimate come from?
Every figure comes from the NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, monthly dataset, using one representative station per city (usually the city's main airport or National Weather Service station). The station name and ID are printed on every city page.
Which U.S. city has the best climate?
By annual evenness, the cities with the smallest swing between coldest and warmest months cluster on the California and Hawaii coasts; by total mild months (means between 55°F and 80°F), coastal California leads. Each city page ranks its own months so you can judge by your own definition of "best."
How is AverageClimate different from a weather forecast?
A forecast tells you next week; normals tell you the climate — what a month typically feels like, built from 30 years of records. Use normals to choose when to travel or where to live, and a forecast for what to pack the night before.
Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Figures checked October 2026.