Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0Carefree reaches 100° on about 81 days a year, more than all but 87 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 102°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Carefree at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carefree’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carefree’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Carefree feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 313 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 4 and the first by December 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carefree, AZ, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carefree’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 13 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 38 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Carefree, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Carefree
29% 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 Carefree, AZ.
Living with Carefree’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
313 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 4 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December. 3.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carefree from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carefree and its neighbors
Cave Creek has the coldest January nights next door (41°, 2° colder) and Cave Creek the hottest July afternoons (103°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Carefree’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carefree, AZ | 42° | 102° | 13" | 0.0" |
| Hillcrest, CA | 40° | 100° | 10" | 0.1" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
| Enterprise, NV | 37° | 103° | 5" | 0.2" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Carefree averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Carefree compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carefree’s place among Arizona’s.
Carefree weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carefree’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Carefree, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 42° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| February | 67° | 44° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| March | 73° | 49° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 68° |
| April | 80° | 54° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| May | 89° | 61° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| June | 99° | 70° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| July | 102° | 77° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 86° – 92° |
| August | 101° | 77° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 85° – 93° |
| September | 95° | 71° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| October | 85° | 60° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| November | 72° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| December | 63° | 42° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| Year | 82° | 58° | 12.8" | 0.0" | 38 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Carefree’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 Carefree’s center.
- Snow: Carefree, AZ (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carefree, AZ, 0.8 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 Carefree’s climate
What is the weather like in Carefree?
A typical July afternoon reaches 102°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 101 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carefree in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 6 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Carefree get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Carefree, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Carefree?
July, with a typical high of 102° and a low of 77°. About 153 days a year reach 90° and 81 reach 100° (Carefree, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Carefree?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 4 and the first fall frost by December 16, about 313 frost-free days, at Carefree, AZ.
What growing zone is Carefree in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Carefree?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Carefree getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carefree.
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.