Least Stormy Cities in United States

California is America's center of calm weather. Five of the state's large cities make the lists for the fewest heavy rain and thunderstorms. Plus they completely avoid snowstorms.

Here you'll find rankings of major cities in the USA with the calmest weather. These cities have the fewest severe rainstorms and thunderstorms. As well, there is a list of cities that never see snowstorms.

Among California's cities with gentle climates, San Diego stands out as enjoying the least stormy weather of all. San Diego averages just five days a year with either thunderstorms or major rainstorms and never has snowstorms.

Besides San Diego, other California cities that have an exceptionally low frequency of bad storms are Los Angeles and Sacramento. One other city, Las Vegas, Nevada rates high among American cities that seldom have storms, and is the city least likely to see heavy rain.

The major cities included in these weather rankings represent the 56 metropolitan areas in the United States with the most people, all those with over one million residents in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau.

You can also view rankings for America's stormiest cities.

Fewest Heavy Rainstorms

Las Vegas is the major American city that least often gets drenched by a heavy rainstorm. The city averages just one day in five years when an inch or more of rain lands.

These 12 cities have less than five days a year with major rainstorms.

Average number of days a year with 1 inch (25 millimetres) or more of rain

City	Days
Las Vegas, Nevada	0.2
Salt Lake City, Utah	0.7
Phoenix, Arizona	0.9
Fresno, California	1.1
Riverside, California	1.2
San Jose, California	1.4
Tucson, Arizona	1.7
Denver, Colorado	2.2
San Diego, California	2.2
Honolulu, Hawaii	3.6
Sacramento, California	3.8
Los Angeles, California	4.2

Cities That Never Get Snowstorms

For 14 major US cities, snowfall is a freak event. If snow ever does land, it is so skimpy as to barely cover the ground. These cities normally never see a day when snowfall amounts to one-tenth of an inch (0.25 centimetres) or more: Fresno, California; Jacksonville, Florida; Honolulu, Hawaii; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Riverside, California; Sacramento, California; San Diego, California; San Francisco, California; San Jose, California and Tampa, Florida

Fewest Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms least often show up over San Francisco and San Diego, which average just three days a year of thunder and lightning displays.

These 13 American cities see electrical storms on no more than 20 days a year.

Average number of days annually with thunderstorms

City	Days
San Francisco, California	2.9
San Diego, California	3.0
Sacramento, California	4.5
Los Angeles, California	4.6
Fresno, California	5.8
Seattle, Washington	6.8
Portland, Oregon	7.0
Honolulu, Hawaii	7.2
Las Vegas, Nevada	13.4
Boston, Massachusetts	17.7
New York, New York	19.4
Providence, Rhode Island	19.7
Hartford, Connecticut	19.9

The snow and rain numbers here are averages based on weather measurements collected for the US National Centers for Environmental Information from 1991 to 2020. The thunderstorm numbers use 1961 to 1990 averages.