Finding your ideal climate abroad is one of the important factors to weigh when planning your move. Climate, according to a Pew Research study several years ago, is not a deal-maker or a deal-breaker when considering places to live. But it can be for many of us and Americans overwhelmingly said they want to live in a sunny and warm place.
This is not news for Jan Null, who is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) with Golden Gate Weather Services in Saratoga, California. A former National Weather Service lead forecaster for over 23 years and a consultant for the past 14 years, Null knows a lot about climates. “The perfect climate definition is very subjective,” Null explained. “Some people never want to see a flake of snow in their lives and others prefer four defined seasons. It is better to look at the factors people look for when evaluating their climate needs. Temperatures are at the top of the list. Amount of sunshine, precipitation and humidity are also major factors.”
Null has created for the U.S. what he calls the Camelot Climate Index. The name comes from the 1960s Broadway play Camelot. In the play, King Arthur decrees that Camelot must have a perfect climate all year by royal decree. San Diego ranks number one on the Camelot Climate Index because it has on average just three days a year that exceed 90 F and no days below freezing. Nearly seven out of 10 days are sunny, precipitation is just 11 inches a year and humidity averages a comfortable 37 percent. And, importantly for many people, San Diego does not receive snow. “San Diego has a Mediterranean climate, which represents the ideal climate for many people,” Null said. “The Mediterranean climate falls in the temperate zone sweet spot where most people in the world live. It is called the mid-latitudes, the region between 30 and 45 degrees latitude, north and south. The Mediterranean climate, though, can be found in just a few places in the world and represents only two percent of the earth’s surface. The California coast and central valley, most of the countries that ring the Mediterranean Sea, the southwest coast of Australia, the southern tip of South Africa and the coast of Chile nearest Santiago are the only places on earth with this type of climate. It is classified as a Dry Summer Subtropical climate, which is characterized by wet, relatively mild winters and dry, warm to hot summers.”
Null told us if you are looking for maximum sunshine year-round, the equatorial region between 20 degrees north latitude and 20 degrees south latitude may be your place. These tropical climates are the stuff of travel posters, but also very wet, very often. The climate primarily is affected by the influence of warm oceans and the warm air that ascends. It produces lots of rain and high humidity.