America's Safest Weather Cities

weather.com ^ | Aug 9, 2012, 5:44 AM EDT | Jon Erdman

[re_nortex]

Virtually no location in the U.S. is 100% safe from dangerous weather.

According to the National Weather Service, the combination of flooding, lightning, tornadoes, tropical cyclones, snow/ice storms, extreme heat, extreme cold, high winds, and rip currents claims almost 600 lives each year in the U.S., on average. Of course, catastrophic events in any year (Hurricane Katrina, spring 2011 tornadoes) can skew the averages.

However, there are locations in the U.S. where the weather is generally "safer."

[re_nortex]

With the important caveat that the source is weather.com, which takes every opportunity to push the junk "science" of global warming, the list is still quite interesting.

To spare you a trip to that otherwise suspect website, here's the list of what they think are the cities where there are fewer weather risks.

Rochester, NY
Caribou, ME
Asheville, NC
Lexington, KY
Sault Ste. Marie, MI
International Falls, MN
San Diego, CA
Honolulu, HI

I'd be interested in opinions of fellow FReepers, without a doubt the most intelligent collection of people on the 'net, far wiser than the liberal propagandists at the NBC-owed weather site. I've always heard that Salt Lake City is a relatively drama-free city when it comes to weather. I'm near Dallas where the weather is, ahem, eventful but it certainly does help build character! :-)

[ozaukeemom]

I would have thought Seattle would be on there. Yes, it is a little rainy, but so what? Mild winters and mild summers.

I would think anywhere in Maine would have interesting weather. Minnesota, too. But, I have never been to the 2 cities mentioned.

[PGR88]

An average 115 inches of snow per year in Rochester NY doesn’t count as hazard?

[DCBurgess58]

Sault Ste. Marie, MI and International Falls, MN... Blizzards... frostbite...

San Diego, CA and Honolulu, HI... Tidal waves...

[mylife]

I have lived in San Diego and Hawaii

I would consider Lexington Ky,

I miss the mild yet changing seasons.

[mylife]

Best place I ever lived climate wise?

Herford Az.

Fla sucks

[eartrumpet]

I once spent the night in a motel outside Salt Lake City and awoke to find a lake effect snow was dumping feet of snow. I managed to escape back to Idaho.

Although I don’t live there, I would think Boise would be a fairly boring weather city.

[re_nortex]

I would consider Lexington Ky

Not too far south and east of Lexington is Roanoke, VA. I've passed through it quite a few times during all four seasons. It impressed me as mild weatherwise, with beautiful and long falls. I've heard Roanoke referred to as "The Air Conditioned City", nestled between nearby mountains that tend to moderate the local climate.

[PA Engineer]

They did not mention Pittsburgh. If you stay away from flash flood areas you will be safe. Tornadoes are minuscule. Earthquakes are minor if at all. Blizzards can be a problem, but after a couple days cleared. I am surprised Pittsburgh did not make the list.

[mylife]

I’m just thinking of being close to home without the “lake effect snows”

Even those are rare and better than cutting the damn grass when it’s 104 LOL

Honestly I like Tx but I hate working in hot humidity.

It hasn’t been that bad this year.

[mylife]

I like the burgh.

[Fledermaus]

Doesn’t it rain alot in Hawaii?

[jessduntno]

Caribou ME?

Colder than a Bankers heart. Lots of nothing, but if you like hunting, skiing and hockey, you’re good. Oh. And...good potatoes.

[re_nortex]

Sault Ste. Marie, MI and International Falls, MN... Blizzards... frostbite...

San Diego, CA and Honolulu, HI... Tidal waves...

Precisely. That's why I added the disclaimer in post #1 about the credibility of the source. The Weather Channel and its web sibling are notorious for their inaccurate forecasts. Even what should be straightforward compilation of safe weather cities was botched by these leftists.

I'm tempted to contact the Admin Moderator and request that [Barf Alert] be appended to the title. My personal preference for credible weather information is Joe Bastari's WeatherBELL.

[mylife]

3 rivers, good beer, good sangwiches.

Nice fishing and scenery.

My only problem with PA is the winters can be harsh and the roads make it the “Land of Orange Barrels”

The food sure is good.
The Taxes suck.

[PA Engineer]

I don’t understand it. It is a safe place all around with abundant resources. The housing prices and cost of living are some of the best in the country. The winter grey can have an effect, but the rest of the year is great. Strange.

[mylife]

I think most of the taters are in Arastook Co.

[Rio]

I spent two years in Santa Barbara, Ca. The weather was amazing pretty much all the time.

[mylife]

I understand it.

The Unions and the Mob wrecked the place.
Emphasis on the former.

This is where I grew up.
It was NW Oh but my brother just called it SW Pa tonight

[re_nortex]

I am surprised Pittsburgh did not make the list.

Pittsburgh usually fares well on lists not because of its superlatives but because of what it lacks. Back in the 80's Pittsburgh was always near the top of the Places Rated Almanac and was the champion in 1985 and again in 2007. In the 1985 rankings, Pittsburgh didn't excel in any one of the metric but avoided the negatives -- notably crime and cost of living.

I was born there and spent my youth in the 'Burg. As far as the weather is concerned, the only real downside as cited in the Almanac was the number of cloudy days. They (Rand McNally) applied positive points for regions with a lot of sunshine.

[re_nortex]

s/Burg/Burgh/

...as one who knows just how important that trailing 'h' is!

[mylife]

Lots of people back there complain of SAD’s.(Seasonal Affective Disorder)

It never bugged me.

Honestly? Texas Sun takes the tar out of me.

[jessduntno]

I think most of the taters are in Arastook Co.”

Caribou is the second largest city in Aroostook County. Its population was 8189 at the 2010 census.

[redlegplanner]

1. That’s spelled “Aroostook” and pronounced “THE County”

2. Caribou is in Aroostock County.

3. You are correct about the potatoes.

4. I guess they did not consider freezing one’s ever loving seat end off a hazard...

[mylife]

Shows you what I know of Maine! LOL

Ive been up there but it aint in my blood.

[redlegplanner]

beat me to it by 20 seconds.

you are awarded a victory ice cream cone...

[mylife]

A pleasant place to visit, as a visitor when the weather is nice.

[dr_lew]

New Jersey! A veritable weather Eden.

[re_nortex]

Texas Sun takes the tar out of me.

Last year when the high pressure dome sat over Texas for months on giving us a case of severe clear and a streak of 100-plus days, I didn't whimper. Why? I have a long memory. I just thought back to those days of shoveling that Pennsylvania snow and then the plow undoing all my work an hour later!

108 degrees felt pretty good. :-)

[redlegplanner]

Yep, the 2d of August is indeed usually pleasant....

[redlegplanner]

Yep, the 2d of August is indeed usually pleasant....

[1FreeAmerican]

Yes it does - which makes it normal regular weather and not dangerous.

[Dave W]

Very funny.

[PA Engineer]

I agree. The metrics are suspicious. The only thing that is questionable about the weather safety is the “grey” in winter. Maybe it is better that people don’t know.

[mylife]

“Aroostook” May as well be in New Foundland! It’s above Nova Scotia

[mylife]

I have been in woods in Maine in the snow in July LoL

[jocon307]

I have always thought the entire NYC metro area is very weather safe. Yes, you get some blizzards, but esp. in the city they don’t amount to too much. The one Christmas before last was quite bad and handled badly and I think some people even did die, but that is a rare thing.

The weather is miserable a lot of the time (like Summer!) but not dangerous.

[mylife]

It just whoops my ass buddy.

I used to get heat exhaustion when I lived up thar. LoL

I am adjusting after 20 years.

[Empireoftheatom48]

Here in El Paso, while it can get hot in the summer, that’s about all that happens here. No tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods or pestilence!

[jessduntno]

“Shows you what I know of Maine! LOL”

Pretty wild country still.

[jessduntno]

Bread Pudding? With raisins?

[PA Engineer]

“Land of Orange Barrels”

True. That is one of the natural hazards. I like the ability to be completely gone from sprawl within an hour. I don't think there is any other city that can lay claim to that. In one hour you are in wilderness. That is how we commute. LOL. I rescued a 6 foot blacksnake from my garage today. I kept hearing the blinds moving. Today, there was this long black line to the window. Poor thing. Moved it to the woods.



Wife kind of freaked. That is a snow blower.

That is Pittsburgh and the Western PA area. You can get out of the race in less than hour and there is little in the weather that is a threat. Most of the wildlife are not a threat. I said most. This "cat" that everyone says does not exist has disappeared most of the dear and left non-existent cat tracks on my land. Go figure.

I have lived many places and this has to be one of the safest.

[mylife]

I never holed up in the house up there because it was to cold.

I have been holed up here for months because it is 100+
Honestly
But that’s one mans opinion of weather.

[PA Engineer]

...as one who knows just how important that trailing 'h' is!

and by an act of congress yet! ;-)

[mylife]

I love the Laurel Highlands and Ohiopyle

[Nik Naym]

“An average 115 inches of snow per year in Rochester NY doesn’t count as hazard?”

Nope.

It’s inconvenient.

It sucks to spend so much time following the snow blower up and down the driveway.

But it won’t kill you or blow your house away or drown you.

[re_nortex]

I am adjusting after 20 years.

Only 20 years here? At long last I can finally call you a N00B! :-)

Seriesly, the number of expats from region now here in Texas is remarkable. As you rightly pointed out, the unions killed the whole tri-state industrial economy. There was a time decades ago when Texans moved to the Pittsburgh district because of the job opportunities. As recently as the 50's, the 'Burgh was second only to New York for the number of corporate headquarters (USS, Gulf, Kopppers, Westinghouse, PPG, Alcoa, Mellon Bank and many others). Big labor and the Democrat Machine (starting with Mayor Lawrence) regulated free enterprise out of existence.

[ThomasThomas]

Tidal waves are not commonly related to weather.

Sunburns are the greatest health risk in San Diego. The weather is so perfect you stay out to long. Except for June.

[mylife]

I am a noob, and It has taken me 20 years to finally feel it, but I love Texas too.