Geography, Not Luck: Ten U.S. Cities With Cooler Summers
The coolest summer spots in the U.S. share similar geographical characteristics, such as a cold ocean current, a deep cold lake, high elevation, or a northern latitude. In July, San Francisco experiences highs in the upper 60s due to its marine layer, while Seattle enjoys dry mid-70s thanks to its ridge. Upwelling keeps Monterey's temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60s, and Duluth, Minnesota, is known as the Air-Conditioned City. Since 1898, Mackinac Island has prohibited motor vehicles, and Bar Harbor, Maine, is the entry point to Acadia National Park. Anchorage seldom surpasses 80 degrees, Flagstaff is 20 to 30 degrees cooler than Phoenix, and Jackson, Wyoming, sees July highs around 80, while Aspen, at 7,900 feet, enjoys mid-to-upper 70s in summer afternoons.
Key facts
- San Francisco's summer highs stay in the upper 60s due to the cold California Current and fog named Karl.
- Seattle's dry summer averages in the mid-70s because of a high-pressure ridge and rain shadow from the Olympic Mountains.
- Monterey's upwelling in Monterey Bay keeps the peninsula in the mid-to-upper 60s during fog season.
- Duluth marketed itself as the Air-Conditioned City in the early 20th century because of Lake Superior's cooling effect.
- Mackinac Island has banned motor vehicles since 1898, and the Grand Hotel has the world's longest porch at 660 feet.
- Bar Harbor's Gulf of Maine waters rarely warm past the 60s, and Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the North Atlantic seaboard.
- Anchorage gets nearly 19 hours of daylight on the summer solstice, and July highs typically sit in the mid-60s.
- Flagstaff's elevation of about 7,000 feet makes it 20–30 degrees cooler than Phoenix, and Lowell Observatory there is where Pluto was discovered in 1930.
Entities
Artists
- John Steinbeck
- John D. Rockefeller Jr.
- Clyde Tombaugh
Institutions
- National Park Service
- de Young Museum
- Japanese Tea Garden
- Pike Place Market
- Seattle Great Wheel
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Cannery Row
- Grand Hotel
- Fort Mackinac
- Acadia National Park
- Jordan Pond House
- Denali National Park
- Lowell Observatory
- National Elk Refuge
- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Teton Village
- Aspen Music Festival and School
- Silver Queen Gondola
Locations
- San Francisco
- California
- California Central Valley
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Seattle
- Washington
- Pacific Northwest
- Olympic Mountains
- Puget Sound
- Bainbridge Island
- Cascade foothills
- Olympic National Park
- Monterey
- Monterey Bay
- Pacific Grove
- Pebble Beach
- Carmel-by-the-Sea
- 17-Mile Drive
- Duluth
- Minnesota
- Lake Superior
- Great Lakes
- Canal Park
- Lakewalk
- Superior Hiking Trail
- Canadian border
- Mackinac Island
- Michigan
- Straits of Mackinac
- Lake Huron
- Lake Michigan
- Mackinaw City
- St. Ignace
- Mackinac Bridge
- Bar Harbor
- Maine
- Gulf of Maine
- Mount Desert Island
- Cadillac Mountain
- North Atlantic seaboard
- Jordan Pond
- Anchorage
- Alaska
- Cook Inlet
- Chugach Mountains
- Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
- Denali
- Ship Creek
- Flagstaff
- Arizona
- Walnut Canyon
- Phoenix
- Tucson
- Route 66
- San Francisco Peaks
- Humphreys Peak
- Grand Canyon
- South Rim
- Jackson
- Wyoming
- Jackson Hole
- Teton Range
- Grand Teton National Park
- Snake River
- Yellowstone National Park
- Teton Village
- Rendezvous Mountain
- Aspen
- Colorado
- Colorado Rockies
- Maroon Bells
- Maroon Lake
- Aspen Highlands
- Independence Pass
- United States
Sources
- Quartz —