Gillespie Dam Highway Bridge · Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0Arlington reaches 100° on about 122 days a year, more than all but 13 U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 40°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 68° apart. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than almost every U.S. town. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from January to March and November, with highs of 68–79°.
A year in Arlington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Arlington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Arlington’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Arlington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 327 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 21 and the first by December 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Painted Rock Dam, AZ, 23 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Arlington’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 6 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 20 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Painted Rock Dam, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Arlington
20% 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 Painted Rock Dam, AZ.
Living with Arlington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
327 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 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 Dec 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March and November. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Arlington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Arlington and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Arlington yet.
Climates most like Arlington’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington, AZ | 40° | 107° | 6" | 0.0" |
| Whitney, NV | 38° | 107° | 4" | 0.2" |
| Mecca, CA | 43° | 108° | 3" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 Arlington averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 97% 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 Arlington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Arlington’s place among Arizona’s.
Arlington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Arlington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Painted Rock Dam, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 40° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| February | 71° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| March | 79° | 49° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| April | 86° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| May | 95° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| June | 105° | 71° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 82° – 93° |
| July | 107° | 79° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 89° – 96° |
| August | 106° | 79° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 89° – 97° |
| September | 100° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 83° – 89° |
| October | 89° | 59° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| November | 77° | 47° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 53° – 68° |
| December | 66° | 39° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| Year | 87° | 58° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 20 | 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 68°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Arlington’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 Arlington’s center.
- Snow: Painted Rock Dam, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Painted Rock Dam, AZ, 23 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Arlington’s climate
What is the weather like in Arlington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 107°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 27 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Arlington in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 9 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Arlington get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Painted Rock Dam, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Arlington?
July, with a typical high of 107° and a low of 79°. About 186 days a year reach 90° and 122 reach 100° (Painted Rock Dam, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Arlington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 21 and the first fall frost by December 15, about 327 frost-free days, at Painted Rock Dam, AZ.
What growing zone is Arlington in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Arlington?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Arlington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Arlington.
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.