Photo: The Old Pueblo · CC BY-SA 4.0Arivaca reaches 100° on about 28 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 32°. The wettest month is August; the driest is May. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 92% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, April and October bring highs of 78–82°.
A year in Arivaca at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Arivaca’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Arivaca’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Arivaca feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 246 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 21 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sasabe, AZ, 16 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Arivaca’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 16 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 51 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Arivaca, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Arivaca
49% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sasabe, AZ.
Living with Arivaca’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
246 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 21 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Arivaca from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Arivaca and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Arivaca yet.
Climates most like Arivaca’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arivaca, AZ | 32° | 94° | 16" | 0.4" |
| Andrews, TX | 30° | 95° | 15" | 1.7" |
| Hobbs, NM | 28° | 94° | 14" | 1.8" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| San Diego Country Estates, CA | 38° | 93° | 17" | 0.0" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Arivaca averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Arivaca compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Arivaca’s place among Arizona’s.
Arivaca weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Arivaca’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Arivaca, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 32° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| February | 66° | 34° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| March | 71° | 38° | 0.9" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| April | 78° | 42° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| May | 86° | 48° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 95° | 58° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 94° | 66° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 82° |
| August | 92° | 65° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 89° | 59° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 76° |
| October | 82° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| November | 72° | 37° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| December | 63° | 31° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| Year | 79° | 46° | 16.4" | 0.4" | 51 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 62°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Arivaca’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 Arivaca’s center.
- Snow: Arivaca, AZ (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sasabe, AZ, 16 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Arivaca’s climate
What is the weather like in Arivaca?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Arivaca in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 31 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Arivaca get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Arivaca, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Arivaca?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 66°. About 118 days a year reach 90° and 28 reach 100° (Sasabe, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Arivaca?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 21 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 246 frost-free days, at Sasabe, AZ.
What growing zone is Arivaca in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Arivaca?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Arivaca getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Arivaca.
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.