<p>Ann Arbor and Madison have terrible weather.
Berkeley has moderate weather and clean air. Other places?</p>
<p>Honolulu, HI just came out #1 for cities that have the least severe weather, and natural disaster potential for things like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, etc. Places in the southwest and a few in Oregon ranked in the top 10 too. Wouldn't want to attend the campus at Hilo though, typhoon and volcano potential...</p>
<p>I live a few miles from UCSB and believe we have some of the nicest weather and our air is pretty clean too. The campus sets right on the coast with many dorms overlooking a lagoon. Although neither one of my kids applied to go there since it was just too close to home.</p>
<p>Well if you aren't afraid of snow, Northfield, MN has some really clean air and the weather is nice if you like winters. :)</p>
<p>To get meaningful responses, you really need to define "best weather". Otherwise the answers will literally be "all over the map".</p>
<p>Well, my idea of best weather would probably be close to Santa Barbara's or San Diego's. However, I want answers all over the map.</p>
<p>My S declined to attend Stanford because he likes snow that comes down to him, not snow he has to go to. Obviously his definition of good weather is not everybody's.</p>
<p>A few that spring to mind: San Rafael, CA (Dominican), Walla Walla, WA (Whitman), Sedona, AZ (Prescott), and Santa Fe, NM, (St. Johns College)</p>
<p>All would see some winter rain or snow, but never too gray or stark...</p>
<p>Santa Cruz!!!</p>
<p>Clean air: Portland, OR</p>
<p>And I think the weather is great there, but then I like rain. </p>
<p>Of course, rain does clean the air....</p>
<p>Notice, it's circular.</p>
<p>Define great weather, please.</p>
<p>Right, one person's great weather might be another's boredom?</p>
<p>Since you're asking about college towns and not just places that happen to have colleges (like Palo Alto, which doesn't feel like a college town), and if "great weather" could mean something other than "temperate and sunny year-round"-- Boulder Colorado?</p>
<p>A highly subjective opinion from my son in Williamstown: He loves the intensely different seasons. Leafy summer, snowy winter, spectacular autumn leaves, and spring that really springs. Having lived for 10 years on the equator where it's the same-same 365 days a year, the seasons are a blessing from nature. Crystal clear skies as well and zillions of stars.</p>
<p>Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, UMaine, Middlebury, UVt, St. Michael's, Champlaing College maybe UNew Hampshire</p>
<p>All have great, clean air and clear skies where you see the stars every night.</p>
<p>As to weather:
Fall: stupendous,crisp clean air and best fall foliage anywhere
Winter: good if you like skiing, wintersports,the beauty of snow
Spring: oh dear, this is not one of "our" seasons; I guess that's why God invented Spring Break
Summer: if you're around, wonderful; low humidity, no one here ever wants to take vacation "away" during summer</p>
<p>jmmom-As a fellow New Englander, I'm LOL over your description of our "Spring". Perfect.</p>
<p>Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz</p>
<p>How about Florida? Granted the summers are pretty darned awful, but fall and winter are lovely. New College in Sarasota and Eckerd in St. Pete are on the water too!</p>
<p>uconn in storrs, ct was recently rated the city/town least likely to experience a natural disaster....</p>
<p>During H's grad school days in University of Idaho (Moscow), I can recall such low humidity that there were no mosquitoes (or cockroaches in the apartments) and temperate weather to allow folks to sunbathe as early as April. Snow wasn't all that bad, and we even saw the seasons go by in 15 minutes--rain, snow, sunshine, and hail. (I kid you not!) The air is fresh and clean in the Palouse or at least it was back then.</p>
<p>I can't really imagine better weather or cleaner air than at UC Santa Barbara. Today's it's about 70 and sunny in that crisp bright-blue sky kind of way. The summers are overcast and grey, but during the fall and winter (January!) it is simply gorgeous to walk along the bluffs overlooking the beach below. And after a rain, the smell of eucalyptus is fantastic!</p>
<p>The answer is Chapel Hill, North Carolina.</p>