The 10 Worst Weather Cities
Yesterday I shared with you our top 10 Best Weather Cities and today we have flipped the coin and look at what might be considered the worst weather locations in the USA. Since I live in Maine, cold temperatures, rain and snow is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, many people commented when we ran our list that it takes character to live in some o the harsher climates. But, we have to use the same criteria as we did yesterday which include sunshine, sky conditions, precipitation, humidity and wind to determine the “worst” cities for weather.
1. QUILLAYUTE, WASHINGTON–Ever heard of it? Neither had we. In fact, it’s not a city but a location where weather data is accumulated and because of the numbers, it ranks as the number one worst weather location. It is tied with Astoria, Oregon as the cloudiest U.S city (240 days) it is the most humid (83% relative humidity), and it is second in terms of rain (104.5 inches) and number of rainy days (210).
2. ASTORIA, OREGON–ties Quillayute for cloudiest in the nation (240 days), and comes in third in terms of wetness (69.6 inches per year/191 days).
3 & 4. MARQUETTE and SAULT ST. MARIE, MICHIGAN–We had a tie between these cities. They ranked number four and five (respectively) in terms of the coldest U.S. cities and numbers two and three as the snowiest cities. They both also ranked seventh and eighth among the rainiest cities. If you enjoy lots of rain, snow and cold weather, these are two places you must visit!
5 & 6. SYRACUSE and BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK–Similarly, two cities in New York State ran very close to each other in terms of cloud cover and precipitation. Syracuse ranks fourth among the rainiest cities in the U.S. (171 days); Binghamton came in tenth (162 days). Binghamton is among the top ten cloudiest cities (212 cloudy days annually) while Syracuse ranks fourth among the snowiest cities with 111.6 inches annually. Being adjacent to the St. Lawrence storm track and subject to color air masses approaching from the west and north, these cities must continually endure unsettled weather patterns.
7. ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA–tied Syracuse for fourth rainiest city in the U.S. and also ranked just behind Binghamton in the number of cloudy days (211).
8. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA–landed among the top ten in terms of wettest cities (59.74 inches annually) as well as among the most humid (75.5%). Living in New Orleans during the summer requires air conditioning!
9. EUGENE, OREGON–Ranked high in the cloud and humidity department. It experiences 209 cloud-filled days annually, and has an average relative humidity that ties New Orleans for eighth place overall.
On a positive note, the abundant moisture and moderate temperatures result in rapid growth of timber evergreens. This is a major industry here.
10. HILO, HAWAII–Hawaii is usually assumed to a paradise with sun-filled skies and perfect weather year-round. But this is not necessarily the case with Hilo. This humidity is number one among U.S. cities in terms of average annual precipitation with a whopping 128 inches. In fact, the wettest part of Hawaii (over 200 inches) is only about six miles up-slope from the city limits. Hilo also ranks number one in terms of the number of rainy days (277). So there is at least a 75 percent chance that on any given day in Hilo, some rain will fall.
Weather is just that, weather. We love it, we hate it. We talk about it every day. If you’re getting married you want sunshine, if you’re going to ski, it has to snow. Want a tan, hey, sunshine is a must. We all live in communities for a variety of reasons. The criteria we used to select our ten best and worst weather cities were strictly statistical.
Peter Geiger
Peter Geiger is the Editor of the Farmers' Almanac. Read his full biography.
oh man i hate the weather of seattle so much
I am surprised at the Sault Ste Marie submission. Marquette? Yes. They get more snow off Lake Superior. The Soo is just cloudy and cold. 6 out of 10 days are cloudy. I don’t mind clouds if it’s warm. In fact, my best days working in my gardens is on cloudy warm days. The problem with Mi. is its just too damn far north. The summers are short and can be hot and dry or cooler and damp but always short. You can have short, cool falls and get screwed out of fall color. November is ridiculous, gray for days and days on end. I cannot stand this state and the day I leave it forever will be one of the best days of my life. I have no idea how much snow I’ve shoveled in my life but I have no doubt it’s in the tons. And don’t even get me started on the summer tourists and the never ending festivals.
What would be an interesting on here is a list of cities that are good and bad at handling heatwaves/snow events.
Portland and Seattle sucks at both heat and cold and always have according to newspaper archives. Portland’s heat record is a staggering 107F actually which was a multi day 100+ event.
*Blue Skies* in Oregon usually means a grey/white tint to it not really that blue at all though when the NW wind is stronger it can get close to what you’d call blue.
Since wet and cloudy weather is assumed to be the worst, which I disagree with, and Hilo, HI is listed, then it’s a big oversight to not list places in Alaska such as Cold Bay and Juneau, with 304 and 280 days of clouds respectively.
Also, Whittier, Alaska with 198 inches of annual precipitation, Ketchikan with 155, and so on. Coastal Alaska beats any place in the lower 48 for clouds and rain.
I live in Northern CA which is known for its preponderance of sunny days but many of them are now marred by ugly chemtrail spraying and other weather modification ops of the past two decades.
Try St.Cloud Mn Horrible weather.I moved to McKinneyTx.It was gorgeous until the Govt decided to keep spraying..No im not nuts.70s one day.30s n snow next.Now look up.Its called Cloud Seeding..Been doing in since 60s.Started in SD when farmers needed rain.Noone will talk about it because they use it as population control.Look for groups on FB..Rich n Powerful…By the way Florida was HORRIBLE.Clouds.Rain.Cold.Not normal and getting worse.Az is nice…..But look at the x in the sky then don’t breathe!D
I think Miami, Florida has the best weather conditions. I’ve been 4 times
there,plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures
I disagree with what you’re calling the worst weather. Overcast is nice.
The worst weather is in Lubbock Texas. It is one of the windiest places on the planet. The heat can reach 110 in the summer, and it still gets freezing cold in the winter. And it’s also got notoriously volatile weather from day to day.
When it’s 110 outside and the wind is whipping dirt into your face at 40 mph all day, it feels like hell.
Boston is the worst for weather. OMG. I was so happy to get oug of there. Atlanta is the worst for air quality. Lots of sun, but traffic hell. For me, Brasstown NC is the best! Sunny days, mild winters, and mountain vistas at every turn.
Rick, glad you’re enjoying North Carolina!
“Happiness is not where you are but who you are”…I’m about to learn that in a BIG way. My family just left Florida for Utah. I’m 66…grew up in the Paradise of Sarasota…lived in north/central Fl since ’69. I’ve been to Egypt in 110 degrees…loved the experience. I caught a snowflake on my tongue in the Swiss Alps. I’ve traveled the USA and the world. The USA wins and Sarasota was the most lovely place of all, for me. I have 2 choices…go or stay. I’m wrapping my head around making this experience “an extended vacation.” I’m thinking Utah is a good combination of Egypt and the Alps. I’ll keep my suitcase ready. 🙂 As long as we’re in North America we’re good! Happy Travels!
I moved to Portland, OR after having lived in southern California and northern California for 5+ years. I also lived a long time in various parts of the East Coast. Even though the weather is “mild” here compared to the dead of winter in the Northeast, it feels colder to me because it’s damp/wet all the time. I’d take a sunny but cold day in New York over the “mild” drizzly, damp, gray days I experience here. And I was incredibly spoiled during my time in California, having lived close to the coast most of my time there. Even when it’s sunny here in Portland, the sky has a weird gray tint… it’s not clear blue like it is everywhere else I’ve lived. The total amount of precipitation is also not that much here, but it’s spread across so many more days instead of being concentrated that the rain isn’t refreshing so much as it is oppressive. On the other hand, a nice shower in the summer in the Northeast cools things down and is a welcome reprieve from the heat. What bothers me more than the rain is actually how many cloud covered days there are… it’s in the 200-240 days a year range. The summer weather is pretty good, with some days being absolutely perfect (70s, no humidity, no clouds), but Portland does heat up to around 90+ for a week or two a year, which ruins the maybe 2 months of great weather. A nice day is so rare for most of the year that people won’t shut up about it. I miss nice spring and summer weather and snowy winters (or just constant great weather like in southern California along the coast). The damp 8-9 months up here is difficult unless you grew up here or have lived here for a long time (and liked it enough to stay).
I moved to Asheville, NC last year and most of the time it has been wet and grey. So many people told me that the grey comes and goes and that they have plenty of sun. I should have done further research. Yes, it is not as cold as some places and not as hot in the summer as others, but this place is awful. Most of the winter was cold, wet, and grey. Now it is spring and it is grey, wet and humid, which is making me feel kind of sick with body pain and headaches. Can’t wait to move back out west to my nice dry climate (either Colorado or Nevada), where, although it can get cold, it is generally more comfortable and much sunnier. I think I felt colder this winter in Asheville than I ever did in Colorado due to the dampness that cuts to your bones in winter. I don’t know how people here can stand this weather that they like to brag about so much. It’s so dreary and depressing, especially if you have SAD. I know only a few others who don’t have SAD who are moving because they miss the sunlight they used to get elsewhere.
I moved to Asheville, NC last year and most of the time it has been wet and grey. So many people told me that the grey comes and goes and that they have plenty of sun. I should have done further research. Yes, it is not as cold as some places and not as hot in the summer as others, but this place is awful. Most of the winter was cold, wet, and grey. Now it is spring and it is grey, wet and humid, which is making me feel kind of sick with body pain and headaches. Can’t wait to move back out west to my nice dry climate (either Colorado or Nevada), where, although it can get cold, it is generally more comfortable and much sunnier. I think I felt colder this winter in Asheville than I ever did in Colorado due to the dampness that cuts to your bones in winter. I don’t know how people here can stand this weather that they like to brag about so much. It’s so dreary and depressing, especially if you have SAD. I know only a few others who don’t have SAD who are moving because they miss the sunlight they used to get elsewhere.
My first year in Lehigh Valley,PA. Warm/humid,sunny during the summer.In winter,very cold,
moderate snow,with icy conditions.It is very scenic though,especially during autumn with the mountains and valley’s.
I have lived in Chicago for 28 years. The other 28 have been spent in Eugene, Oregon. I gotta say Eugene beats Chicago and just about every other place I’ve visited by a long shot. Life here simply goes by at a slower pace. Sometimes a little too slow, but I would take that any day over the traffic-cesspool-angrydriver-madness called Chicago. Not to mention the weather. ..Biting cold in the winter and hot sticky summers. What is enjoyable about that? Come on!! Okay maybe it rains a lot ( I love the rain) but that is waaaay better than the cold. For about four months or so, rain switches completely off from mid June to mid October anyway.
The climate is what makes the NW unique too. Moss and lichen cover the trees and just about everything. Ferns everywhere. The grass is greener here…literally. In the winter, despite the clouds life is less grey than most of the rest of the country. While the eastern half of the US is a barren wasteland, everything here stays green year round. In my opinion, the weather here is the best part about living in Eugene
The majority of the Central plaines part of Texas has lousy weather year round. This includes Decatur through North Texas, Dallas- Ft Worth on down the I-35 corridor to Austin. The winters are a bone chilling wet cold (and they’re long) for a Southern state, and the summers are hot and humid. There is no spring or fall in large parts of Texas, only two bad extremes with a few fair days. And did I mention the wind? It blows hard from the North or South. If it blows from the north it chills you to the bone. If it blows from the south you get thunderstorm type weather. The weather, like everything about Texas has no appeal in my view.
Not sure how rain is synonymous with with bad weather. I grew up in Oregon and LOVED the rain and cool weather. To me, sun is bad weather. Lol. Too much sweat and uncomfortableness. Give me overcast and rainy any day of the year over hot and sunny.
Yea right. It never rains in Florida anymore. Every single day is ugly with no clouds, wind or rain. Awful.
I pity all you sucka’s …Even though I was conceived in our families home town of Austin, I was born in Santa Barbara, Ca. A street person here lives in better weather, than all of you.
I AM glad also about the fact that few “think” they can afford to live here… I have been all over the U.S., and many parts of the world…and I can confidently say “I live in Santa Barbara, Ca., 2 Kilometers south of Paradise !!!…closer than any other place on the planet for year round 70 degree average temp., and about perfect moisture in the air for human comfort. I was 1 lucky S.O.B. to have been born here. Peace Hombres, and Hombrettes !
I actually think SouthEast Michigan is pretty decent; 4 clear seasons, moderate summers (not as hot because of the Lakes), Snow avg about 36 inches. It gets cold, but not Minnesota cold. Some of the best wilderness and lakes in the world.
Chicago weather for me, isn’t what I’d call the ideal weather. It’s either way too humid/hot, ala Miami, with heavy thunderstorms and plenty of flooding problems. Winters also can be tough in the windy city with heavy snow fall and freezing cold. We’re searching for someplace with a cooler summer climate and mild winters. Even considering relocating abroad.
Extensive traveler and Pittsburgh should be on this well researched list. I have experience entire summers with zero sun,Lesden gray skies every day and the sun will show for 30 minutes before it disappears..
Worse than Dublin,Ireland.
Why is the labeled the worst weather? That is merely an opinion. Just call it the most overcast cities or something like that. I LOVE cool grey solidly overcast skies. I feel 1000% better. I am searching for a place that is like this year round with 0 days of sun. White clouds or even a white hazy overcast is not the same so when people say “cloudiest” you don’t really know what they mean. To me bright sunny days & extreme temperatures are pure hell.
Sounds like the people of Washington and Oregon are a little defensive. I guess it must be all that bad weather that makes you this way.
I’m surprised Chicago, IL, didn’t make the list.
Oh, boy. This makes it hard to decide on where to go! I spent most of my life in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which at the time, I thought, was the armpit of the states. While it can get cold and windy, the sun is almost always shining. So I moved to Salem, Oregon. The complete opposite. I haven’t seen the sun in days. Rain, rain, and more rain. The dry desert in New Mexico, or the lush green of Oregon. It’s all subjective, I guess, to what you make of it. I went from one extreme to the other, and I would like a happy medium between the two.
How anyone can say”anything” bad about San Diego Ca.? The Weather is perfect. It is called America’s finest city for a reason. Alot of reasons
, But keep saying negative things about it
And stay away. It is paradise for us.
People in the Northwest are smart — keep complaining about the weather and keep people away! I grew up in Hilo and it rained every afternoon at about 2. But it was over quickly. You stop caring about being wet because it isn’t cold. My family is now almost entirely in Oregon and I’m trying to decide between Bend and Kona (notice both are drier towns in wet states).
I can’t believe Miami, Florida didn’t make the list. Long gone are the beautiful sunny skies that used to dominate the state. Florida has been plagued with mostly rainy weather, tornadoes and hurricanes.
This list is wrong. There is no comparison between weather on the west coast and the rest of the US. The Pacific Northwest has dry summer and wet winters. But this is only West of the Cascades, ther rest is desert and very dry.
Hilo Hawaii? A tropical rainstorm is that dumps an inch of rain in 30 minutes can not be compared to the upped peninsula of michigan or the cloudier cities on the east coast.
Finally…it’s April 19th and this November 1st, 2013…my partner Joey and I are finally our of Oregon and in Southern California forever….it must have took an extra year to make this happen…but its happening! gonna be 75-80 end of the week….not bad for April but WE MUST HAVE SUN EVERY DAY! PERIOD! God blessed us with a decent income for California too–hope people see the light about this Oregon…..if you are lazy and wanna rot away–its a great place—no sun and rain yucko! loveugodbless tj kabbalah matthewshepard madonnalicious
Lived in Portland OR for a little over a year, the gloomy dark skies really took a toll on the family. We moved as soon as we got the opportunity, fortunate to be able to do so. While there are many things to do there, the weather can be overwhelmingly oppressive/depressive. While I would go back to visit- it would not be in the Portland area, possibly Bend where the sun does shine.
This is not an intelligent list. I was born and raised in Seattle and now live in Portland. While our winter climate is undeniably wet the temperatures here very, very rarely drop below freezing. Winter days where the high temperature is below 40 degrees are uncommon. Similarly snow is extremely rare here because the winter temperatures are always so mild (generally between 40 and 50).
Let’s not forget that summers in the Northwest are extremely dry. In fact, NW summers are drastically drier than the summers of most cities in the Midwest, the South or the East Coast – look it up. This is why cities like Atlanta, Orlando, Charlotte, etc.., actually receive more average rainfall than Seattle every year. Summer days in Portland/Seattle are almost always completely cloudless from start to finish with ZERO humidity whatsoever.
Is the Portland/Seattle climate for everybody? No. But I have traveled extensively and I can assure you that Seattle/Portland have very pleasant, mild climates compared to the extreme crap that some people have to deal with.
Without taking Alaska into account, I’d say this is pretty much invalid. Places in the arctic regularly see blizzards with wind chills of -80°F. Interior temps in the winter can be -60°F. The gulf coast can get 30 feet of snow in a season, the southeast is much like Washington and Oregon except it flirts with colder weather a lot more. Then take in the arctic hurricanes that plague the aleutian chain and kodiak island. And the wind that forms through the terrain gaps when a massive arctic high pressure system collides with a deep low. There’s a reason most of this state isn’t inhabited. In anchorage today, the state’s largest city, it is forecasted to gust over 100mph. At least summers can be nice, as long as you like foggy cool rain with nearly unlimited daylight
Without taking Alaska into account, I’d say this is pretty much invalid. Places in the arctic regularly see blizzards with wind chills of -80°F. Interior temps in the winter can be -60°F. The gulf coast can get 30 feet of snow in a season, the southeast is much like Washington and Oregon except it flirts with colder weather a lot more. Then take in the arctic hurricanes that plague the aleutian chain and kodiak island. And the wind that forms through the terrain gaps when a massive arctic high pressure system collides with a deep low. There’s a reason most of this state isn’t inhabited. In anchorage today, the state’s largest city, it is forecasted to gust over 100mph. At least summers can be nice, as long as you like foggy cool rain with nearly unlimited daylight
i moved here (salem, oregon, halfway between portland and eugene) 34 years ago and have never looked back. people in the willamette valley either love it (most) or hate it and leave. we have one depressing month, February, and June sort of sucks because it is spring and the beautiful flowers are out and you want it to be sunny. but after living in LA and the smog for 23 years and then coming here where the air is pristine after it rains is awesome. most of the cloudy days there is little or no rain so it really isnt bad and it is so easy on your skin and eyes. the other good thing is that if you dont mind the weather you can live in an uncrowded state that has a low cost of living and lots of culture in portland or eugene. americas best kept secret
I got very depressed in Portland, Oregon. Winter’s what, 8 months? And gloomy, drizzly days are almost constant even when it isn’t freezing. Hilo is depressing too. You gotta have sun, but as we learned in Arizona and New Mexico, too much is equally as bad. San Diego tends to be relatively nice most of the time, but I really don’t wish to live in California anymore. We ended up in Florida, on the top east coast side. Not too much hurricane threat, but wow, the humidity! Winter is great, so we only suffer half the year, so it’s a good place for us. The beaches are what make it all worthwhile too.
I’ve lived in the Eugene Oregon area for 34 years now and would never consider leaving.
I love the amount of rain we get, the air is always fresh and clean. It’s never too cold in winter or too hot in summer except for a few days each. It’s so well situated, an hour to the coast, plenty of fishing spots nearby, and the snow and mountains only a couple of hours away while the big city, Portland is also just 2 hours form here.
Sheyna people are correct about Oregon weather–it is June 30th and STILL NO SUN! Umm…it’s been like this since October. My partner and I are moving to San Diego, CA for good on October 1st! Portland, OR is HELL to anyone that is not numbing and coping themselves to live here! Better get ready to hear your soul in your house or be at one of the packed bars/coffee houses in the area! Pacific NW living SUCKS–vitamin D3 deficient and rain is depressing….period! How can a city get along when everyone is PISSED off from the rain? ADIOS Portland in “93” days…won’t miss you! LoveUGodBless T and J kabbalah matthewshepard madonnalicious
I was wondering about this. I’d say the writers of this article are looking a little bit narrowly. Cold Bay, AK and Cordova, AK (both located on islands) have 300+ cloudy days and experience very harsh winters and relatively mild summers (60 degree F!) My family lived in Kodiak, AK for several years while my father was in the military and experienced hurricane-force winds, 6 months of darkness, and -45 temps. I’d say anywhere in southern AK really needs to be put on this list 🙂
Cheyenne – the Farmers’ Almanac does not cover Alaska or Hawaii. Only the lower 48.
Call me weird, but I love cloudy, rainy days, and cold cold winters. In fact, I could take cold year round. Can’t take heat and humidity any more.
I live outside Hilo Hawaii and I have to agree it is a wet area. What I have found is that most of the rain starts in the evening and usually ends by mid morning. On the bright side, the average temperture is around 65 for the low and 80 for the high and that temperture is pretty constant all year long.
Why do people always asume rain as depressing weather haven’t you ever seen a movie romantic scenes happen in rain all the time i even had some.
Yeah i’m kinda in love with rain
Hee Hee’s
Wow now i really wants to go to Quillayute
Hilo weather sucks every building is moldy and has frens growing in the gutters and roofing. And the city doesn’t do much to make the city look nice either sadly..bright paint would help but most of hilo is white and moldy
Anyone who says ALL of Oregon and Washington is the worst is an idiot. GO EAST OF THE CASCADES, MORON! I live in the Tri-Cities, Pasco to be exact, which is the SE corner of Washington. We have four major seasons, but we are considered desert. What?? Desert in WASHINGTON? Yep!! The Cascade mountains create a rain shield and we see little rain. Sure, we get it, but not much! It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. We have beautiful orchards on the irrigated farms and trees everywhere due to the three rivers that flow in our area. I’m so glad to be OUT OF WESTERN WASHINGTON and am living in this wonderful community. Wine country, apples, camping and boating. Skiing is just over an hour. Who could want more???
Thank God other people out there are aware of how awful Binghamton weather is. After living there for a few years now, I can’t tell you how oppressive the weather can be. In the winter you can get week-long stretches where the temperature won’t get above 10 degrees and warm weather (regularly over 55 degrees) only lasts from May to mid October. But the real killer is the constant overcast and precipitation and when these conditions are mixed with the dilapidated rust-belt surroundings it gets unbelievably depressing.
This list is silly. Were geography and climate at all utilized as criteria for this list? Marquette and Sault Ste Marie? These cities, when compared to cities of a similar latitude, actually have a more moderate climate due to the influence of the lakes- warmer winters and cooler summers than surrounding areas. Granted Lake Superior is an incredible, persistent lake-effect snow machine, the lake also helps to shield the area from extremely bitter cold weather systems that plunge southward during the winter. Quillayute and Astoria??? Sure, they are cloudy much of the year, but these areas are geographically absolutely beautiful and both areas experience moderate, pleasant temperatures all year and are not prone to extremes- warm or cold.
Nowhere on this list are cities in the interior of the United States with a continental climate which experience drastic temperature extremes in the summer and winter. The Dakotas, Kansas or Nebraska??? 100+ temps in the summer and extreme, bitter cold in the winter with sub zero wind-chills that eclipse 40 below zero. This list is nothing but fluff.
There are SO many bad weather throughout the US, so I do not know what city has the “worst weather” in the country. When I hear about horrible weather in other states, I became aware of how lucky I am that I live in California instead of state like Minnesota. My parents grew up in Upstate New York and told me how there is so much snow in the winter. I have never experienced weather as cold as -40 degrees F, and I do not even want to begin to imagine how miserable it might be. Unfortunately, I have visited Arizona, Utah, and Nevada in the summer, and it was SO HOT. The hottest weather I ever experienced is in Las Vegas in August at a temperature of 123 degrees F. That was a miserable experience.
How about some losy weather prop’s for Boston: Harsh winters; it rains too much; it’s windy; the east wind off of the ocean keeps it frigid at the coast into June. If you like 50 and drizzly, it’s the place for you.
A horrible spot, especially after having lived in SD for a while. Talk about California dreamin’
Most mid-West states such as MN and IL have the worst weather in my opinion. Spring? actually those states do not have spring season. travelers even see snow and feel cold temp. in May. Summer? Too hot and humid suck! Fall? not bad until middle of Nov. Winter starts after middle of Nov. Too much snow really toooo much. And Too cold. It’s so suprised to me how people here live the terrible winter season. Most west costs states such as WA, OR, and CA are far more better than those states. Is there someone who consider to move to IL or MN from states in West coast, Please Please think again. I lived 2 years cities in West coast, and now unfortunatly, I have been living in MN for about year and half so I can tell exactly how different weather between West coast and mid-west coast. Terrible road condition due to too cold weather. Very streesful to drive car. And there are no mountain. too bad for those who wants hiking. After I live here over one year, I know why people say WA is “Evergreen STATE” And people’s temper in Mid-West is not good. I miss WA and Summer and fall season in WA too, and sleepless SEATTLE and Bellvue and Kirkland. What a nice state!