According to designer and software engineer Kelly Norton, Los Angeles has the most pleasant weather of any city in the United States.
Norton analyzed weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to determine which US cities enjoy moderate temperatures – between 55 and 75 degrees on average throughout the year, without dipping below 45 degrees. He also factored in precipitation: the less precipitation, the more pleasant.
With 183 days per year of nice weather, LA wins for pleasantest US city, according to Kelly Norton’s analysis. Image source: Buzzfeed
The Problem with Weather Data from Weather Stations
Norton gathered his data from NOAA, which relies on weather stations for data on temperature and precipitation (among other variables).
But weather stations tend to be located at airports and other outlying locations. If a city’s weather changes based on where you are in the city – because of proximity to bodies of water and elevation, for example – then those weather stations don’t reflect the weather at every spot within the city’s borders.
A weather station in Chatsworth, CA, atop Oat Mountain. Image source: Air Communications Services
Los Angeles Weather Depends on the Neighborhood
Los Angeles happens to be a perfect example of a city whose weather is a mix. Some neighborhoods are moderate and pleasant, whereas others are downright broiling.
This heat map shows how significantly temperatures can differ across Los Angeles.
LA Neighborhoods on the coast are far more comfortable than those farther inland. (Click to enlarge.)
If you want to take advantage of LA’s pleasant clime, you’d better stick to Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan Beach and other neighborhoods near the coast. You’ll find average August temperatures of between 69 and 75 degrees.
On the other hand, if you end up in Northridge, Pasadena or Hacienda Heights, expect temps in the low to mid 90s in the hottest month of the year.
Los Angeles IS the Most Pleasant Place – Sort Of
We agree with Kelly Norton that parts of Los Angeles are exceedingly pleasant, but we can’t endorse the designation of Los Angeles as Most Pleasant Place. Instead, we propose:
The West Coast of Los Angeles Is Most Pleasant Place in US (But Steer Clear of LA’s Inland Neighborhoods!)
Venice Beach in Los Angeles. Now that’s pleasant! Image source: Flickr
Maponics Context Weather Scores
The LA heat map above was created using Context Weather Scores – the first climate model to accurately reflect weather between weather stations, at the neighborhood level, by ZIP Code or by school boundary. (Learn how Maponics engineers used geographically weighted regression to model climate throughout the US at the highly local level.)
Weather Scores is part of the Context™ product family, the first-of-its-kind suite of lifestyle and behavior analytics.
To learn more about Context Weather Scores, contact us at info@maponics.com.