Fort Bowie National Historic Site · Photo: SonoranDesertNPS from Tucson, Arizona · CC BY 2.0Bowie reaches 100° on about 29 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 29°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 97% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. For walks and days out, April and October bring highs of 79–81°.
A year in Bowie at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bowie’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bowie’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Bowie feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bowie, AZ, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bowie’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at San Simon, AZ, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 33 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bowie
57% of the work is heating. 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 Bowie, AZ.
Living with Bowie’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 1 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 3.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bowie from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bowie and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bowie yet.
Climates most like Bowie’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowie, AZ | 29° | 97° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Las Cruces, NM | 28° | 96° | 9" | 1.0" |
| Kermit, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 1.9" |
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Bowie averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Bowie compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bowie’s place among Arizona’s.
Bowie weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bowie’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from San Simon, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 29° | 0.9" | 0.5" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| February | 65° | 32° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| March | 72° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| April | 79° | 43° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 88° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 97° | 61° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 97° | 67° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| August | 94° | 66° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 90° | 59° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| October | 81° | 47° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 70° | 36° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| December | 60° | 29° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| Year | 79° | 46° | 11.0" | 1.2" | 33 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bowie’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 Bowie’s center.
- Snow: San Simon, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bowie, AZ, 0.4 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 Bowie’s climate
What is the weather like in Bowie?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bowie in winter?
December nights average 29°. About 59 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Bowie get?
About 1.2 inches in a normal winter at San Simon, AZ, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bowie?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 67°. About 121 days a year reach 90° and 29 reach 100° (Bowie, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Bowie?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 217 frost-free days, at Bowie, AZ.
What growing zone is Bowie in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bowie?
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 Bowie getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bowie.
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.