Ahead of a winter season with colder than average temperatures and strong storms, according to the latest forecast from the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its 2019’s Best Winter Holiday Destinations report as well as accompanying videos to supplement its money-saving selection of the Best Travel Credit Cards.

Focusing on cost and convenience rather than scenic beauty, WalletHub compared nearly 70 of the largest U.S. metro areas grouped by warm and cold weather. Each destination was analyzed based on 37 key metrics, primarily the expense and hassle of traveling to each location but also on other indicators, such as weather forecasts, safety and variety of activities.

Here’s a quick glimpse at some of the report’s most interesting findings:
 

Best Cold Destinations for Winter Travel		Best Warm Destinations for Winter Travel
1. Chicago, IL		1. Austin, TX
2. Washington, DC		2. Dallas, TX
3. Atlanta, GA		3. San Diego, CA
4. Philadelphia, PA		4. Las Vegas, NV
5. Denver, CO		5. Tampa, FL
6. Boston, MA		6. Houston, TX
7. St. Louis, MO		7. San Antonio, TX
8. Cincinnati, OH		8. Charleston, SC
9. New York, NY		9. Phoenix, AZ
10. Portland, OR		10. Orlando, FL

 
Best vs. Worst

• The average flight to a popular cold winter destination costs $255.42, lasts 4 hours and 6 minutes and has 0.32 connections. In comparison, the average flight to a popular warm winter destination costs $344.26, lasts 4 hours and 57 minutes and has 0.48 connections.
• Among cold destinations, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has the lowest price for a three-star hotel room, $52, which is two times lower than Worcester, Massachusetts, the city with the highest at $104.
• Among warm destinations, Pensacola, Florida, has the lowest price for a three-star hotel room, $40, which is 4.5 times lower than Honolulu, the city with the highest at $178.
• Among cold destinations, New York has the most restaurants (per square root of population), 7.705846, which is 7.2 times more than in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the city with the fewest at 1.066583.
• Among warm destinations, San Francisco has the most restaurants (per square root of population), 4.951891, which is 18.3 times more than in North Port, Florida, the city with the fewest at 0.271006.

 
View the full report and your metro area’s rank.