San Diego Sizzles as Country’s Top ‘Cookout Capital’

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blue Rhino, the leading brand of propane tank exchange, has announced the top 100 Cookout Capitals for 2008. This year, the nation's top Cookout Capital is San Diego, California – the only city to post a perfect score for the number of ideal grilling days.

Top 20 Cookout Capitals for 2008 (2007 rankings in parentheses):

1. San Diego, CA (15)                  11. Seattle-Tacoma, WA (75)
2. San Francisco/Bay area (7)          12. Portland, OR (24)
3. Los Angeles, CA (5)                 13. Reno, NV (2)
4. Honolulu, HI (8)                    14. Buffalo, NY (43)
5. Eugene, OR (-)                      15. Flagstaff, AZ (3)
6. Sacramento, CA (1)                  16. Duluth, MN (-)
7. Spokane, WA (12)                    17. Dayton, OH (59)
8. Madison, WI (39)                    18. Portland, ME (66)
9. Medford, OR (-)                     19. Cleveland, OH (39)
10. Boise, ID (6)                      20. Lansing, MI (-)

Regional Cookout Capitals include: Lexington, KY (Southeast), Madison, WI (Midwest), Buffalo, NY (Northeast), Flagstaff, AZ (Southwest), and San Diego, CA (West).

The list, in its second year, ranks markets with populations of at least 50,000 based on the number of ideal grilling days reported during the months of May through August 2007, which are defined as days under 90 degrees without precipitation. Weather data was compiled from the National Weather Service.

"At Blue Rhino, we provide millions of gas grill tanks that fuel cookouts in thousands of communities nationwide each year," said Tod Brown, president of Blue Rhino. "We haven't found a bad place for a cookout yet, but we like to recognize places where ideal weather conditions make for great grilling."

To view Blue Rhino’s complete list of Cookout Capitals, please visit www.bluerhino.com.

About Blue Rhino^®

Blue Rhino is a leading national provider of branded propane tank exchange and complementary propane-fueled products to consumers. Blue Rhino propane tank exchange is offered at leading home improvement centers, mass merchants, hardware, grocery, and convenience stores, with branded tank displays at more than 41,000 retail locations in 50 states and Puerto Rico. Blue Rhino's propane-fueled products division focuses on appliances like grills, patio heaters and mosquito eradication devices. Blue Rhino is a brand of Ferrellgas, L.P. For more information regarding Blue Rhino, please visit www.bluerhino.com.