Escape the Cold: Top 5 Warm-Weather Destinations to Visit this Winter
As the winter season approaches, many of us are looking to escape the cold and find a warm retreat. With NOAA’s winter outlook indicating a strong La Niña climate pattern, it’s essential to plan your getaway to a destination that promises pleasant weather. According to a recent analysis by Wallethub.com, which evaluated 70 of the largest metro areas in the country based on factors such as safety, affordability, and warm weather, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 warm-weather destinations to visit this winter.
At over 450 years old, St. Augustine, Florida, has a rich history as the oldest, continuously occupied U.S. city, and it sees more than 6 million visitors every year.
Top 5 Warm-Weather Destinations
While millions love to enjoy snow-filled winter adventures, many Americans wish to escape the frigid temperatures for something much warmer. To determine the list of the top five warm-weather destinations to visit this winter, Wallethub.com analyzed 70 of the largest metro areas in the country, grouped by warm or cold weather, along with other factors such as safety and affordability, to compile this listing.
1. Las Vegas, Nevada
Ranking at the top of the list is Las Vegas, Nevada, with a plethora of activities for tourists to explore. Along with its beautiful year-round weather conditions, the city offers public golf courses, recreation centers, public pools, and basketball courts, as well as the fourth-best parks in the country, according to WalletHub.com. 
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 06: Lauren Coughlin of the United States lines up a putt on the fourth green during the Semifinal on Day Five of the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards 2025 at Shadow Creek Golf Course on April 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
(David Becker / Getty Images)
2. San Diego, California
In second place is San Diego, California, renowned for its beautiful beaches and diverse water activities that cater to visitors, allowing them to soak up the Sun. The city is also home to many attractions for the entire family to enjoy, including amusement parks, bike rental facilities, shopping centers, and high-rated restaurants. 
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 15: UC San Diego’s Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier with the bluffs of Black’s Beach along the La Jolla coastline is seen at sunset on a clear, fall day on October 15, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
(Kevin Carter / Getty Images)
3. Austin, Texas
In third place, we have Austin, Texas, home of the iconic college football Texas Longhorns. The city offers a wide range of opportunities for people of all ages to have a great time, including outdoor live music, clubs, bars, and restaurants. If you’re more interested in the great outdoors, there are numerous opportunities to explore, including swimming holes, water parks, hiking, boat tours, and much more, according to Austintexas.org. 
Dogs and residents enjoy water at Barton Creek Pool on June 27, 2023 in Austin, Texas. A dangerous and prolonged heat wave blanketed large parts of the southern US on Tuesday, buckling highways and forcing people into air-conditioned shelters as temperatures soared past 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Celsius). Excessive heat warnings were in place from Arizona in the southwest all the way to Alabama in the southeast, with south and central Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley worst hit, the National Weather Service said.
(SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP / Getty Images)
4. Dallas, Texas
Fourth on our list of top warm weather destinations to visit is Dallas, Texas. This location is an excellent spot for tourists to escape the harsh reality of the winter weather and enjoy a vast variety of options to explore in the large city. Besides being home to many professional sports teams, the city offers a zoo for children to explore, an aquarium, museums to visit, shopping centers, and a variety of delicious restaurants, according to city officials. 
Skyline of Dallas Texas on a partly cloudy spring afternoon. (Photo by: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
(HUM Images/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
5. Phoenix, Arizona
Last on our top five list is Phoenix, Arizona, known for its scorching, dry heat. Phoenix is home to more than 41,000 acres of desert parks and mountain preserves, which millions of people explore every year. Along with more than 200 miles of trails, the city offers numerous options to enjoy the great outdoors. 
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 25: People gather and watch the sunset from South Mountain Park amid the city’s worst heat wave on record on July 25, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. While Phoenix endures periods of extreme heat every year, today marked the 26th straight day of temperatures reaching 110 degrees or higher, a new record amid a long duration heat wave in the Southwest. Extreme heat kills more people than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined in an average year in the
Image Source: www.foxweather.com
