Snowbirds

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A smiling tanned man in his 50s sits in his van at the beach with the sunset visible through the windows behind him.

Snowbirds are those who travel to warmer climates during the winter and colder climates during the summer, following good weather to stay comfortable. Many nomads are snowbirds, especially those with uninsulated vehicles, but many non-nomads make these trips as well, especially retirees who don't have work obligations to stay in one place. Snowbirding reduces the need for expensive and bulky amenities like air conditioning.

Common targets include daytime highs of 60-75F. These highs may seem too cool, but snowbirds often camp in full sun to harvest solar power.

Latitude

Climate averages increase as one approaches the equator[1], at a rate of roughly 1deg F per 50 miles traveled in latitude. This video shows how the latitude of 70deg F. changes throughout the year.

Elevation

Changing your elevation can make a big difference in ambient temperature! On sunny days with low humidity:[2]

  • For every 100 meters in elevation change, expect about 1°C temperature change.
  • For every 1000 feet in elevation change, expect about 5.5°F temperature change.

During periods of rain, snow, high humidity, or cloud cover, expect less of a change:

  • For every 100 meters in elevation change, expect about 0.6°C temperature change.
  • For every 1000 feet in elevation change, expect about 3.3°F temperature change.

In mountainous areas, changing your elevation to get a better ambient temperature is almost always a lot faster and cheaper than driving somewhere at the same elevation.  Read more about elevation changes …

Efficiency

In order to alter the temperature by 10F, one could either:

  • change elevation by ~3000'; or
  • change latitude by 500mi, about the length of Nevada's eastern border[3]; or
  • some combination of the two

Weather

Annual weather patterns and forecasts play a large role in the lives of snowbirds. See the weather page for more information.

United States

In the eastern US, snowbirds will typically move further south into Florida with cold weather and up as far as Canada in warm weather.

In the central US, snowbirds may move to the Gulf Coast (Texas, Louisiana) during winter and up into the mountains of Colorado or further north in the summer.

In the western US, snowbirds often move to sea level in southern Arizona or California in the winter, and either up in elevation (New Mexico) or latitude in the summer.

Draft version of common boondocking spot temps by month - Google Drive (view only, in progress)

Wintering areas

A man sits in a camp chair by a small campfire on a quiet evening. His maroon Sprinter van sits nearby.

Wintering areas will be closer to the equator and/or lower in elevation.

Popular locations include:[4], [5]

Summering areas

Summering areas will be farther from the equator and/or higher in elevation.

Spring and fall

Theory: elevations around 3,000' may be good for "shoulder season" camping.

Resources

  • Chasing70degrees - a paid web-based app to help you find places in the continental United States within temperature bounds you set. Price for lifetime access is $10 in 2024.


Some or all of the content on this page was originally sourced from this page on RVWiki