When the rest of the country is freezing, a handful of US cities stay reliably warm. Using NOAA’s 1991–2020 average January high temperatures, here are the warmest big cities for a winter escape — and how they differ.
The answer first
The warmest major US city in winter is Honolulu, with an average January daytime high near 81°F. On the mainland, Miami leads at about 76°F, followed by Orlando (72°F) and Tampa (71°F). The desert Southwest — Phoenix and Las Vegas — and Southern California sit a notch lower, in the upper-60s to low-70s. All figures are NOAA 1991–2020 normals for average January highs.
Warmest US cities in winter (average January high)
| City | Avg January high | Avg January low | Avg January precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | 81°F | 67°F | 1.8 in |
| Miami, FL | 76°F | 61°F | 1.8 in |
| Orlando, FL | 72°F | 50°F | 2.5 in |
| Tampa, FL | 71°F | 53°F | 2.7 in |
| Phoenix, AZ | 68°F | 46°F | 0.9 in |
| Los Angeles, CA | 68°F | 49°F | 3.3 in |
| San Diego, CA | 66°F | 50°F | 2.0 in |
For the live, computed version of this list — including more cities — see our warmest cities in January ranking.
Warm and humid vs warm and dry
The list splits into two climates:
- Florida and Hawaii are warm and relatively humid. Miami and Honolulu rarely drop below the low-60s even at night, but you trade a little stickiness and the odd shower for that warmth.
- The desert Southwest — Phoenix and Las Vegas — is warm and bone-dry in winter (under 1 inch of January rain in Phoenix), with crisp, cool nights. Great for hiking and golf, less so for swimming.
If you want the best of both — warmth and dryness — our best winter getaways ranking scores cities on exactly that combination.
A note on nights
Average highs describe the afternoon. Notice how the overnight lows tell a different story: Phoenix’s January low is 46°F and Orlando’s is 50°F, so even “warm” winter cities cool down after dark. Pack a layer for evenings. To understand the gap between daytime and overnight figures, read how to read average high and low temperatures.
What about Southern California?
Los Angeles and San Diego are mild rather than hot in winter — daytime highs around 66–68°F. That is comfortable for sightseeing and beats anywhere up north, but it is not beach-swimming weather, and January is actually Los Angeles’s wettest stretch (3.3 in). For full monthly detail, see the Los Angeles and San Diego pages.
Reminder: these are averages
Climate normals are 30-year averages, not forecasts — see what climate normals are. A cold front can knock even Florida into the 50s for a day or two. Use these numbers to choose a destination, then check a live forecast before you book.