Aztec reaches 100° on about 118 days a year, more than all but 35 U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 41°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on almost every U.S. town. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 2.1° rise. From November to March, highs of 69–81° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Aztec at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Aztec’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Aztec’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Aztec feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 324 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 25 and the first by December 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dateland Whitewing Rch, AZ, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Aztec’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 4 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Aztec
22% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Dateland Whitewing Rch, AZ.
Living with Aztec’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
324 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 25 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Aztec from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Aztec and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Aztec yet.
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 Aztec averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
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 Aztec compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Aztec’s place among Arizona’s.
Aztec weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Aztec’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 70° | 41° | 0.6" | 51° – 61° |
| February | 74° | 44° | 0.8" | 53° – 65° |
| March | 81° | 50° | 0.3" | 59° – 72° |
| April | 88° | 54° | 0.1" | 66° – 75° |
| May | 96° | 62° | 0.0" | 74° – 84° |
| June | 105° | 70° | 0.0" | 82° – 91° |
| July | 108° | 79° | 0.4" | 87° – 96° |
| August | 107° | 79° | 0.5" | 89° – 98° |
| September | 102° | 72° | 0.4" | 85° – 91° |
| October | 91° | 60° | 0.4" | 71° – 81° |
| November | 79° | 48° | 0.3" | 56° – 69° |
| December | 69° | 40° | 0.4" | 51° – 58° |
| Year | 89° | 58° | 4.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 69°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Aztec’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 Aztec’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dateland Whitewing Rch, AZ, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Aztec’s climate
What is the weather like in Aztec?
A typical July afternoon reaches 108°, a January night drops to 41°. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 19 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Aztec in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 11 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How hot does it get in Aztec?
July, with a typical high of 108° and a low of 79°. About 184 days a year reach 90° and 118 reach 100° (Dateland Whitewing Rch, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Aztec?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 25 and the first fall frost by December 13, about 324 frost-free days, at Dateland Whitewing Rch, AZ.
What growing zone is Aztec 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 Aztec?
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 Aztec 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 Aztec.
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.