Traveling to a warm destination is supposed to be a good thing, one of the ideal goals when we’re looking for a place to take a vacation. But there’s a big difference between warm and hot. And unfortunately, if you have plans to travel to any of these vacation destinations this weekend, it’s going to feel very hot – 100 degrees or more hot.
According to the NOAA National Weather Service, about 44.3 million people – or about 13 percent of the population of the contiguous United States – live in areas where dangerous levels of heat is in the forecast. When calculating how hot it feels, versus what the temperature on the thermometer is, they use a metric called the heat index, which takes into account both temperature and humidity. Humidity can make heat feel especially oppressive – and more dangerous to your health – because moisture in the air can prevent sweat from evaporating, and it’s that evaporation that cools us off.
When it’s this hot out, it’s recommended that you stay indoors as much as possible, in a cool room. If you need to go outside, stay out of the sun as much as you can, and make sure that you stay hydrated. It’s also suggested that you check in on your neighbors, especially if they are elderly, live alone, or may not have air conditioning.
To determine the popular vacation spots where it’s going to feel over 100 degrees this weekend, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on heat index forecasts from the NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Cities were ranked based on the average forecasted heat index maximum for July 19 to 21, 2024. Data was aggregated from points to cities using Voronoi tessellation and place boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau’s TIGER/Line program. Only cities with at least 150,000 residents were considered. Only cities where at least 25% of the housing stock is vacant for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use – a proxy for vacation activity – with at least 5,000 residents were considered. Data on population and vacancy status is from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and are five-year estimates for 2022.
If your vacation destination is on this list, please do your best to stay cool. If it isn’t, you might not be out of the woods: These vacation hotspots are still being threatened with excessive heat.
38. Panama City Beach, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 99.5°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 99.9°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 100.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 54.5%
- Total population: 18,281
37. Orange Beach, AL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 100.5°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 100.5°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 100.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 31.3%
- Total population: 8,048
36. Litchfield Beach, SC
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 100.9°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 101.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 101.6°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 36.8%
- Total population: 8,908
35. Ormond-by-the-Sea, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 102.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 101.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 100.0°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 29.0%
- Total population: 6,668
34. Islamorada, Village of Islands, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 103.0°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 103.5°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 101.4°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 38.5%
- Total population: 7,044
33. Palm Beach, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 103.9°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 103.7°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 101.6°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 42.7%
- Total population: 9,205
32. Key Largo, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 103.5°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.2°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 101.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 30.7%
- Total population: 12,021
31. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 103.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.0°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 101.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 45.6%
- Total population: 6,202
30. Surfside, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 103.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 101.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 29.3%
- Total population: 5,625
29. Sunny Isles Beach, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 103.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 101.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 41.8%
- Total population: 22,202
28. Aventura, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 103.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 101.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 31.7%
- Total population: 39,621
27. Pembroke Park, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 103.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 101.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 32.4%
- Total population: 6,266
26. Key Biscayne, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 103.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.6°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 102.0°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 26.4%
- Total population: 14,572
25. Marco Island, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 102.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.9°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 103.7°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 50.5%
- Total population: 15,942
24. La Quinta, CA
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 102.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 104.4°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 30.2%
- Total population: 37,933
23. Daytona Beach Shores, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 105.1°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 104.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 102.5°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 38.0%
- Total population: 5,087
22. Hilton Head Island, SC
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 105.5°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 103.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 103.2°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 33.6%
- Total population: 37,708
21. St. Augustine Beach, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 106.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 105.6°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 103.9°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 34.3%
- Total population: 6,774
20. Sanibel, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 104.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 106.1°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 106.5°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 53.3%
- Total population: 6,420
19. Treasure Island, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 105.2°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 106.7°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 106.7°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 29.2%
- Total population: 6,590
18. St. Pete Beach, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 105.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 106.7°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 106.7°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 31.6%
- Total population: 8,905
17. Lely Resort, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 105.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 107.2°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 106.3°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 34.6%
- Total population: 7,505
16. Fort Myers Beach, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 105.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 106.7°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 106.7°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 64.4%
- Total population: 5,650
15. Iona, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 105.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 106.7°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 106.7°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 32.6%
- Total population: 14,295
14. Naples, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 106.0°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 107.7°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 106.9°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 41.1%
- Total population: 19,315
13. Palm Desert, CA
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 106.0°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 107.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 107.7°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 28.6%
- Total population: 51,290
12. Rotonda, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 106.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 107.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 107.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 25.9%
- Total population: 10,233
11. Rancho Mirage, CA
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 106.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 107.7°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 108.1°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 35.8%
- Total population: 17,257
10. Bonita Springs, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 106.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 108.2°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 107.5°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 32.0%
- Total population: 53,945
9. Estero, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 107.0°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 108.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 107.6°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 29.4%
- Total population: 36,685
8. Pelican Bay, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 107.0°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 108.6°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 107.8°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 41.4%
- Total population: 6,380
7. Four Corners, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 108.9°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 109.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 107.4°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 33.9%
- Total population: 56,537
6. Cortez, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 108.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 109.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 109.5°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 29.7%
- Total population: 5,033
5. Longboat Key, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 108.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 109.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 109.5°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 48.0%
- Total population: 7,479
4. Zephyrhills South, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 109.7°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 110.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 109.5°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 27.9%
- Total population: 5,470
3. Zephyrhills West, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 110.0°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 111.0°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 109.6°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 25.2%
- Total population: 6,147
2. Siesta Key, FL
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 109.4°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 110.8°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 110.5°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 43.1%
- Total population: 5,535
1. Fortuna Foothills, AZ
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 19, 2024: 114.7°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 20, 2024: 116.3°F
- Forecasted heat index maximum for July 21, 2024: 116.2°F
- Housing units dedicated to seasonal use: 30.6%
- Total population: 27,552