Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0Apache Junction reaches 100° on about 102 days a year, more than all but 65 U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 42°. Temperatures cover 64° across the year, low to high. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 97% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about February 11; in half of years the first frost comes by December 10.
A year in Apache Junction at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Apache Junction’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Apache Junction’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Apache Junction feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 304 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 11 and the first by December 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ, 6 miles from the town’s center, 410 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Apache Junction’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 10 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 40 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Apache Junction
24% 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 Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ.
Living with Apache Junction’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
304 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 11 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 99 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Apache Junction from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Apache Junction and its neighbors
Mesa has the coldest January nights next door (40°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Apache Junction’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache Junction, AZ | 42° | 105° | 10" | 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 Apache Junction averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Apache Junction compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Apache Junction’s place among Arizona’s.
Apache Junction weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Apache Junction’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| February | 70° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| March | 77° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| April | 84° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| May | 93° | 61° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| June | 103° | 70° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 81° – 90° |
| July | 105° | 78° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 88° – 94° |
| August | 103° | 77° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 87° – 94° |
| September | 99° | 71° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 80° – 87° |
| October | 88° | 59° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| November | 75° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| December | 65° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| Year | 86° | 57° | 10.2" | 0.0" | 40 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Apache Junction’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 Apache Junction’s center.
- Snow: Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ, 6 miles from the town’s center, 410 ft higher; 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 Apache Junction’s climate
What is the weather like in Apache Junction?
A typical July afternoon reaches 105°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 75 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Apache Junction in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 8 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Apache Junction get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Apache Junction?
July, with a typical high of 105° and a low of 78°. About 168 days a year reach 90° and 102 reach 100° (Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Apache Junction?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 11 and the first fall frost by December 10, about 304 frost-free days, at Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ.
What growing zone is Apache Junction in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Apache Junction?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Apache Junction getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Apache Junction.
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.