Warm Weather Win
Houston's hot as one of the nation's best winter travel destinations
You want heat? Houston's got it, especially in the wintertime. But our weather isn't the only admirable thing about the area in December and January, says WalletHub.
In putting together its list of the best winter destinations — both warm and cold — the personal finance website championed our lack of travel hassles and costs, helping to land the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area in the top 10 for toasty winter getaways. The Houston metropolitan area ranks No. 10 overall as a warm weather destination and a respectable eighth for activities, which weighs criteria such as restaurants, parks, music venues, sports facilities, and food festivals.
WalletHub defines "warm" as generally above 57 degrees in December, and also rated each area's local costs, attractions, weather conditions, and amount and quality of warm-weather activities.
Of the 37 warm-weather destinations, WalletHub crowns Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada, No. 1, followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and San Diego-Carlsbad in California to finish out the top three.
But eight other Texas areas make it onto list, including Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington at No. 9 overall, Austin-Round Rock at No. 14, and San Antonio-New Braunfels at No. 23. Austin and Houston both get recognized for their easy travel, while San Antonio and Houston get a nod for low local costs.
If you're looking to escape the heat this winter and cool down with bonus ski slopes and ice-skating rinks, WalletHub recommends Atlanta; New York-New Jersey; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.