How Hot Is It? Tampa Ranks 10th In Country

By Community Editor D'Ann White

If you're feeling a bit hot under the collar, there's a good reason.

The Tampa Bay area is ranked among the 10 hottest metropolitan cities in the country.

That, of course, is just the opinion of Bert Sperling. For more than 20 years, Sperling has done comparisons on the best places to live, work, play and retire.  

His books include Cities Ranked & Rated: Your Guide to the Best Places to Live in the U.S. & Canada, The Best Places to Raise Your Family and the best-selling Cities Ranked and Rated. His website, Best Places, is a go-to source of information for Self, Money, Ladies' Home Journal, Newsweek, Smart Money and Outdoor Explorer magazines.

In his new Sperling Heat Index, Sperling used the average summer high temperatures, nighttime low temperatures and dew points to determine which of the country's 50 largest metro areas have the hottest summers. 

Tampa residents who have to wait 10 minutes for their car air-conditioners to cool down are already well aware of the city's heat. But, according to Sperling, Tampa isn't the hottest city in the country. 

That title goes to Phoenix-Mesa, AZ, with an average high temperature of 104.5 degrees and a heat index of 97.7 degrees. Also topping the list were Las Vegas, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin.

The Tampa Bay area actually was 10th on the list with an average high temperature of 90.8 degrees and a heat index of 91.5 degrees. Also making the list were Miami (No. 7) with an average high temperature of 90.7 degrees and a heat index of 92 and Orlando (No. 9) with an average high of 91-9 and a heat index of 91.6.

At the other end of the spectrum, Sperling ranked the country's top "chill cities" where residents can expect more comfortable summertime weather. 

If you want to escape the summer heat, Sperling suggests hanging out in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco where daytime high temperatures range from 74.9 to 79.2 degrees.