America's Best Climates

San Diego, CA

Maui, HI

Users/Viewer's Choice:  San Diego, CA
by Becky Kellogg, Content Manager


Where else can you find a Mediterranean climate in the United States?  That's right.  According to climate experts, much of San Diego has a Mediterranean climate.  Because of the nearby deserts, it's often classified as an "arid Mediterranean" climate.  Check out the stats that make it a "winner."

It's not all sunshine and flowers in San Diego, though.  The "June gloom" sets in during early summer in the form of a Marine Layer.  That's when low cloud cover hugs the coast making it cloudy, cool, and damp.  If you don't like it, just drive 5 miles inland.  The marine layer will disappear and the sunshine will reign again.

San Diego's current weather

The next time weather.com and The Weather Channel and weather.com decide to do a "Best of" list, I think it's imperative to send the Content Manager and Editorial Meteorologist out to check out the places first hand.  I'm not just saying that because I'd like to spend a few days in San Diego (wink, wink).

Video: San Diego lightning

Meteorologist's Choice:  Maui, HI
by Jonathan Erdman, Editorial Meteorologist


Hmmm....Maui or San Diego?  Filet mignon or prime rib?  Why is it many of life's choices aren't this "win-win"?

Ahhh...what was it I'm writing about?
Image:  AP

Average summer highs in Maui are in the mid-upper 80s.  In San Diego, they're in the 70s near the ocean.  Ninety-degree heat is infrequent, particularly oceanside in San Diego. 

Summer is the "dry season" in both locations. 

That said, this isn't a coin-flip for me, Maui gets my vote.

Maui's current weather

This past summer was one of the coolest summers in recent memory in Southern California.  As Becky mentioned above, the "June gloom" coastal low clouds seemed to hang on in July and August as well.  

High temperatures failed to rise out of the 60s quite often along the coast this past summer.  Not exactly good beach weather.  Meteorologist Chris Dolce also prefers warm water, something you don't get along the West Coast.

What if I told you I could find a summer climate that virtually guarantees 80s in the day, without summer's stifling humidity. 

Seriously...can anyone argue against this?
Image:  AP

Maui's record "coldest" daily high temperatures from June through August are in the upper 70s or low 80s.  It's the constancy and certainty of Maui's summer climate that ranks it a clear #1 in my book.

Meteorologist Tim Ballisty begs to differ, however.  "Breckenridge, CO features low humidity and incredible scenery."

Good point.  I've always thought summer in the mountains is underrated.  Not quite as crowded as the ski-packed winter slopes, and a natural method of air-conditioning, namely, gaining elevation.

Next:  Best "extreme weather" climate