Photo: Public domain · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Bitter Springs: 8 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 26°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 94% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Bitter Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bitter Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bitter Springs’ place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Bitter Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 226 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 27 and the first by November 9. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Page Muni Airport, 24 miles from the town’s center, 950 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Page, AZ, 24 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bitter Springs’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Page, AZ, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 47 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bitter Springs
69% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Page, AZ.
Living with Bitter Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
226 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 27 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bitter Springs from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bitter Springs and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bitter Springs yet.
Climates most like Bitter Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitter Springs, AZ | 26° | 94° | 8" | 3.1" |
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
| Alamogordo, NM | 27° | 93° | 11" | 2.4" |
| Homestead Meadows South, TX | 30° | 96° | 10" | 2.8" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
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 Bitter Springs averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Bitter Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bitter Springs’ place among Arizona’s.
Bitter Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bitter Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Page, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 26° | 0.8" | 1.4" | 4 | 0 | 30° – 41° |
| February | 51° | 29° | 0.7" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 34° – 46° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| April | 68° | 42° | 0.3" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| May | 78° | 50° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| June | 90° | 60° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| July | 94° | 66° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 64° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| September | 84° | 56° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 70° | 44° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| November | 56° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 44° | 25° | 0.5" | 1.0" | 4 | 0 | 29° – 40° |
| Year | 69° | 44° | 8.0" | 3.1" | 47 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bitter Springs’ 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 Bitter Springs’ center.
- Snow: Page, AZ.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Page, AZ, 24 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Page Muni Airport, 24 miles from the town’s center, 950 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Bitter Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Bitter Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bitter Springs in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Bitter Springs get?
About 3.1 inches in a normal winter at Page, AZ, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bitter Springs?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 66°. About 94 days a year reach 90° and 24 reach 100° (Page, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Bitter Springs?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 27 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 226 frost-free days, at Page, AZ.
What growing zone is Bitter Springs in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bitter Springs?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bitter Springs getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bitter Springs.
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.