Photo: dougegood · CC BY 2.0Anthem reaches 100° on about 90 days a year, more than all but 81 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 104°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Anthem at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Anthem’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Anthem’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Anthem feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 313 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 4 and the first by December 16. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Phoenix Deer Valley Muni Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Carefree, AZ, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Anthem’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 11 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 38 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Carefree, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Anthem
29% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Carefree, AZ.
Living with Anthem’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
313 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Heat waves are 47% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Anthem from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Anthem and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Anthem in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Anthem’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthem, AZ | 41° | 104° | 11" | 0.0" |
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | 42° | 105° | 7" | 0.8" |
| Henderson, NV | 40° | 105° | 5" | 0.2" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Anthem averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 92% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Anthem compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Anthem’s place among Arizona’s.
Anthem weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Anthem’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Carefree, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| February | 69° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| March | 75° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| April | 83° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| May | 92° | 62° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| June | 101° | 70° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| July | 104° | 78° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 87° – 94° |
| August | 103° | 77° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 86° – 94° |
| September | 97° | 71° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| October | 87° | 59° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| November | 74° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 68° |
| December | 65° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| Year | 85° | 58° | 10.8" | 0.0" | 38 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Anthem’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Anthem’s center.
- Snow: Carefree, AZ.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Carefree, AZ, 13 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Phoenix Deer Valley Muni Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Anthem’s climate
What is the weather like in Anthem?
A typical July afternoon reaches 104°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 81 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Anthem in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Anthem get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Carefree, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Anthem?
July, with a typical high of 104° and a low of 78°. About 159 days a year reach 90° and 90 reach 100° (Carefree, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Anthem?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 4 and the first fall frost by December 16, about 313 frost-free days, at Carefree, AZ.
What growing zone is Anthem in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Anthem?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Anthem getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Anthem.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.