Wednesday, November 9, 2016

This Map Shows You What Your Neighbors Consider 'Sweater Weather'

Quincy Vagell
Published: November 9,2016
Fall is in the air, or at least it is on the calendar. Depending on where you live, it may be close to “sweater weather,” and that begs the question: What exactly is considered sweater weather?
(MORE: When Does Fall's Chill Typically Arrive?)
Based on a survey, the median temperature by state identified as the cutoff for needing a sweater.
The Weather Channel conducted a survey of people in the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) to find out what temperature makes people bust out their sweaters. The results were interesting and uncovered that different parts of the country had contrasting answers.
A bar graph showing the nationwide range of answers (between 40ºF and 80ºF) for what temperature people associate with sweater weather. Note the spikes in the graph, which correspond to multiples of five – for example, 55ºF, 60ºF and 65ºF.
A breakdown by region of the temperature that is associated with sweater weather.
Of 6,586 respondents, 59 percent placed the sweater weather cutoff into the 55 to 65 degree range. Most specifically, the average nationally is 60 degrees. Perhaps as expected, colder parts of the country pegged that number lower, while areas that stay warmer longer answered with a higher threshold for warmer clothes.
The warmest region is the West, where an average of 62 degrees is cool enough to signal sweater time. More specifically, both Arizona and Nevada were the states with the highest temperature, needing just 65 degrees to grab a sweater. For the warmest metro areas, locals in Jacksonville and Tampa in Florida also require a sweater at 65 degrees.
(MORE: Warmth May Last Into October)
The most tolerant area fell across the northern Plains and northern Rockies, where the temperature has to drop to 55 degrees before residents reach for a sweater. South Dakota had the lowest temperature threshold at just 51 degrees.
Across the northern tier of the U.S., several metropolitan areas tied for the coolest cutoff, placing it at 55 degrees in Buffalo, Burlington, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Seattle.
What about men versus women? There is a statistically significant difference between the genders, where women need a sweater at 60 degrees, while men hold out until the temperature falls to 58 degrees. Age did not seem to be much of a factor.
The results in this survey use the median temperature across the range of answers. By definition, half the respondents in each state gave a "sweater weather" temperature at or above the median temperature, and half gave a temperature at or below the median.
State"Sweater Weather"
Arizona65ºF
Nevada65ºF
Florida63ºF
Alabama62ºF
California61ºF
Delaware60ºF
Georgia60ºF
Indiana60ºF
Iowa60ºF
Kansas60ºF
Louisiana60ºF
Maryland60ºF
Michigan60ºF
Mississippi60ºF
Missouri60ºF
New Jersey60ºF
North Carolina60ºF
Ohio60ºF
Oregon60ºF
Pennsylvania60ºF
South Carolina60ºF
Tennessee60ºF
Texas60ºF
Utah60ºF
Virginia60ºF
West Virginia60ºF
Wyoming60ºF
Arkansas59ºF
Illinois59ºF
New Mexico59ºF
Connecticut58ºF
New York58ºF
Rhode Island58ºF
Colorado58ºF
Massachusetts57ºF
Kentucky56ºF
Idaho55ºF
Maine55ºF
Minnesota55ºF
Montana55ºF
Nebraska55ºF
New Hampshire55ºF
North Dakota55ºF
Oklahoma55ºF
Vermont55ºF
Washington55ºF
Wisconsin55ºF
South Dakota51ºF

MORE: Highest and Lowest Temperatures in All 50 States

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