New York State Ranked WHERE For Best Winter Holiday Destinations?

There is a reason why so many holiday films are shot in or are set in New York: Because we do the holidays the best! Let's start with Thanksgiving: New York has the best scenic views with all of our woodlands, valleys, and rivers. We are known for our apple orchards, making it perfect to share apple pie and apple cider around the Thanksgiving table. Then you have Christmas. Obviously, New York City draws in huge crowds with the parades, the Rockefeller Square Tree Lighting, and shopping, but the rest of New York offers that sweet, hometown vibe wherever you go, perfect for a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Best Winter Holiday Destinations

Besides being a magical place for the holidays, you have to consider the ease of travel and cost. In a recent study from WalletHub, it is said that we are to get below-average temperatures this winter. With that, we will probably get heavy rain, sleet and snow.

WalletHub analyzed around 70 of the largest metro areas based on 37 key metrics, such as flight data, safety indicators, and weather predictions. They separated destinations into warm and cold categories.

In regards to the Best Winter Vacation Destinations for Warm-Weather Lovers, New York ranked NOWHERE on the list. Come on, what did you expect? The top five areas are as follows:

1. Las Vegas - Henderson Paradise, Nevada
2. Austin - Round Rock - Georgetown, Texas
3. San Diego - Chula Vista - Carlsbad, California
4. Dallas - Fort Worth - Arlington, Texas
5. San Antonio- New Braunfels, Texas

Sounds like Texas is the place to be this year for the holidays if you're looking for a warm destination. So, where did New York land in the Cold Destinations Category?

New York State Ranked WHERE For Best Winter Vacation Destinations for Cold-Lovers?

We got good news and bad news. Let's start with the bad news. These areas in New York near the end of the list. Out out 32 metro areas, 3 New York regions wound up at the bottom:

28. Buffalo - Cheektowaga, NY

29. Rochester, NY

31. Albany - Schenectady - Troy, NY

I travel back and forth to Albany all the time, plus, I've been making more and more stops to Rochester for college friends. I'm SO happy to hear that travel is expected to look SO marvelous. Not.

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

New York is not totally out of the woods! There is one contender that came in very strong. Coming in at Number 1 on the list of Best Winter Vacation Destinations for Cold-Weather Lovers is:

1. New York - Newark - Jersey City, NY - NJ - PA
2. Altlanta - Sandy Springs Alpharetta, GA
3. Washington - Arlington - Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
4. Chicago - Naperville - Elgin, IL-IN-WI
5. St. Louis, MO-IL

Okay, so we share the top spot with New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but New York still managed to make it into the top spot, and that I say is a major win. When I think of New York City; however, I think of traffic and congestion galore.

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I was a little surprised that the New York City area is expected to be among the best, while more upstate locations are expected to be among the worst, but when you look at the breakdowns for between cost, amount of attractions, and impending weather, it starts to make a lot of sense.