The Weather grade provides a comprehensive assessment of the overall, year-round weather at the county level. This grade takes into account monthly high and low temperatures, precipitation and snow data, and the number of sunny days in an attempt to holistically capture an area’s weather. Learn where our data comes from.
| Average Sunny Days per Year | The average number of sunny days per year, assigned at the county level. When data was not available, the average of nearby counties was used. | NOAA | 40.0% |
| Average Monthly Precipitation | The 30-year average monthly rainfall, where closer to mean is considered better. | NOAA | 12.5% |
| Average Monthly Snowfall | The 30-year average monthly snowfall, where less snowfall is considered better. | NOAA | 12.5% |
| Highest Average Monthly High Temperature | The highest 30-year average monthly high temperature, where a lower temperature is considered better. | NOAA | 12.5% |
| Lowest Average Monthly Low Temperature | The lowest 30-year average monthly low temperature, where a higher temperature is considered better. | NOAA | 12.5% |
| Temperature Range | The temperature difference between the highest monthly high and lowest monthly low, where a smaller difference is considered better. | NOAA | 10.0% |
The same methodology is used to produce the Weather Grade for each ranked place. Statistics are primarily obtained from the NOAA and represent a 30-year average.
For more details about how we calculate our rankings, click here.