Question

In what direction would you head from New York state to find warmer temperatures

Answer 1

Head south. If you traveled west, it would gradually get warmer because the Pacific Coast is warmer than the Atlantic. But the quickest change would be if you traveled south to North Carolina and there you would experience warmer temperatures.
The climate would still be humid as it's still near the coast, but since it's closer to the equator, it would be warmer.