Precipitation in Blue Ridge trails that of 93% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 19° on average. A year here swings 65° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its January nights bite harder than in 65% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 31; in half of years the first frost comes by October 2.
A year in Blue Ridge at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Blue Ridge’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Blue Ridge’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Blue Ridge feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Blue Ridge Rs, AZ, 5 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Blue Ridge’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Blue Ridge
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Blue Ridge Rs, AZ.
Living with Blue Ridge’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 31 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 36 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Blue Ridge from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Blue Ridge and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Blue Ridge 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 Blue Ridge averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
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 Blue Ridge compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Blue Ridge’s place among Arizona’s.
Blue Ridge weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Blue Ridge’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 19° | 1.3" | 26° – 38° |
| February | 48° | 22° | 1.2" | 29° – 42° |
| March | 55° | 27° | 1.2" | 34° – 46° |
| April | 61° | 32° | 0.5" | 40° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 39° | 0.6" | 48° – 59° |
| June | 81° | 47° | 0.3" | 58° – 68° |
| July | 84° | 54° | 2.5" | 66° – 72° |
| August | 81° | 53° | 2.9" | 64° – 73° |
| September | 76° | 46° | 1.6" | 57° – 64° |
| October | 66° | 35° | 1.0" | 47° – 55° |
| November | 54° | 25° | 1.0" | 32° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 18° | 1.5" | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 64° | 35° | 15.6" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Blue Ridge’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 Blue Ridge’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Blue Ridge Rs, AZ, 5 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Blue Ridge’s climate
What is the weather like in Blue Ridge?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 19°. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Blue Ridge in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How hot does it get in Blue Ridge?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 54°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Blue Ridge Rs, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Blue Ridge?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 126 frost-free days, at Blue Ridge Rs, AZ.
What growing zone is Blue Ridge in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Blue Ridge?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Blue Ridge 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 Blue Ridge.
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.