Cactus Forest reaches 100° on about 92 days a year, more than all but 80 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 104°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Cactus Forest at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cactus Forest’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cactus Forest’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Cactus Forest feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 319 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 30 and the first by December 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Florence, AZ, 7 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cactus Forest’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. 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 10 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 31 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ashurst Hayden Dam, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cactus Forest
23% 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 Florence, AZ.
Living with Cactus Forest’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
319 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 30 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March and November. 9.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cactus Forest from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cactus Forest and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cactus Forest yet.
Climates most like Cactus Forest’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cactus Forest, AZ | 40° | 104° | 10" | 0.0" |
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | 42° | 105° | 7" | 0.8" |
| Enterprise, NV | 37° | 103° | 5" | 0.2" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Eagle Pass, TX | 41° | 98° | 19" | 0.0" |
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 Cactus Forest averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Cactus Forest compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cactus Forest’s place among Arizona’s.
Cactus Forest weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cactus Forest’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ashurst Hayden Dam, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| February | 70° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| March | 77° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| April | 84° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| May | 93° | 61° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| June | 103° | 70° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 81° – 90° |
| July | 104° | 77° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 87° – 93° |
| August | 102° | 76° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 87° – 93° |
| September | 98° | 71° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| October | 88° | 58° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| November | 76° | 47° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| December | 65° | 39° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 56° |
| Year | 85° | 57° | 10.0" | 0.0" | 31 | 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 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Cactus Forest’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 Cactus Forest’s center.
- Snow: Ashurst Hayden Dam, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Florence, AZ, 7 miles from the town’s center, 420 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 Cactus Forest’s climate
What is the weather like in Cactus Forest?
A typical July afternoon reaches 104°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 83 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cactus Forest in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 10 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Cactus Forest get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ashurst Hayden Dam, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Cactus Forest?
July, with a typical high of 104° and a low of 77°. About 169 days a year reach 90° and 92 reach 100° (Florence, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Cactus Forest?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 30 and the first fall frost by December 12, about 319 frost-free days, at Florence, AZ.
What growing zone is Cactus Forest in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cactus Forest?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cactus Forest getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cactus Forest.
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.