One reason why I like the “Camelot Climate Index Map” (discussed in the previous GeoCurrents post) is the fact that that it is explicitly framed as a climate map rather than a weather map. Most of its competitors claim to show permanent weather favorability, but weather varies from day to day and cannot be predicted beyond a week or two. Such maps actually depict climate patterns, which are relatively consistent from year to year. The Yahoo!News illustration posted below, for example, asks readers to examine the map if they want to find a place with “perfect weather year-round.” Even if one agrees with Yahoo’s evaluation of “perfect weather,” such a place cannot be found anywhere, as the map itself demonstrates.
Like the Camelot Climate Index Map, the Yahoo! map locates the most favorable climate zone of the United States in coastal California. Unlike it, Yahoo depicts the southeast as having the country’s second-best climate, which may surprise those who dislike warm and humid days. The methodology employed, however, is unduly simplistic, with a “perfect weather day” defined as one in which the daily maximum temperature is between 60°F (15.5°C) and 85°F (29.4°C) and rainfall is below 1 mm. Most people, I think it is safe to say, would not regard a windy, cloudy day with temperatures in the 40s and 50s, peaking briefly at 60°F, as having “perfect weather.” Similarly, an extremely humid rainless day with a high temperature of 85°F and a low of 75°F (23.8°C) would probably be regarded by most people as unpleasant. To assess weather comfortability, wind, humidity, and other factors must be assessed along with maximum temperature and precipitation.
As Jan Null, author of the Camelot Climate Index, emphasizes, weather and climate preferences vary considerably from person to person. Average preferences also differ from culture to culture and region to region. I was recently surprised to learn that in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the United Kingdom, a “heat wave” is officially defined a period of at least three days in which the maximum temperature exceeds 79°F (26°C). In interior California, where I was reared, a three-day period in July or August with high temperatures reaching only 79°F (26°C) would be regarded as an unseasonal cold snap. Although many local people would be delighted by such mild conditions, quite a few would complain, asking “what happened to summer?”
Although maps of “ideal weather” actually depict climate zones, the methods used to construct them do tend to hinge on weather preferences. They are based, in other words, on the perception of what constitutes a single “nice,” “ideal,” or “perfect” day, rather than on preferred average conditions across the entire year. Many if not most people also like variation and would find a climate characterized by an unceasing sequence of “perfect days” somewhat boring. Distinct seasonal change is also highly appreciated by many. A single day of ideal weather, moreover, can be especially sweet if it comes after a period of inclement conditions. Similarly, delight is often found when the clouds clear and the wind drops on an otherwise cool and showery day. Such a change can be inspirational, as perfectly realized in “Here Comes the Sun,” the Beatles’ most streamed song. Such considerations help make sense of the seemingly contradictory statement traditionally attributed to King Charles II: “England has the best climate in the world and the worst weather.” But try mapping that!