St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Catalina Foothills reaches 100° on about 73 days a year, more than all but 103 U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 39°. Winter and summer sit 62° apart. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 96% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around February 20; autumn frost returns near November 27.
A year in Catalina Foothills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Catalina Foothills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Catalina Foothills’ place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Catalina Foothills feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 280 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 20 and the first by November 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ, 4 miles from the city’s center point, 380 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Catalina Foothills’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 12 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 40 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Catalina Foothills
31% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ.
Living with Catalina Foothills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
280 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 20 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April and November. 32 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Catalina Foothills from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Catalina Foothills and its neighbors
Tanque Verde has the coldest January nights next door (36°, 3° colder) and Casas Adobes the hottest July afternoons (101°, 2° 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 Catalina Foothills’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Foothills, AZ | 39° | 100° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Clovis, CA | 39° | 99° | 11" | 0.0" |
| Eagle Pass, TX | 41° | 98° | 19" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
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 Catalina Foothills averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Catalina Foothills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Catalina Foothills’ place among Arizona’s.
Catalina Foothills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Catalina Foothills’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 39° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| February | 68° | 41° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| March | 74° | 46° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| April | 82° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| May | 91° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| June | 100° | 69° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 79° – 88° |
| July | 100° | 74° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 84° – 89° |
| August | 98° | 73° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 83° – 91° |
| September | 94° | 68° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| October | 85° | 57° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| November | 74° | 45° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 67° |
| December | 65° | 39° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| Year | 83° | 55° | 12.2" | 0.0" | 40 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Catalina Foothills’ 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 Catalina Foothills’ center.
- Snow: Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ, 4 miles from the city’s center point, 380 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 Catalina Foothills’ climate
What is the weather like in Catalina Foothills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 100°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 133 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Catalina Foothills in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 26 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Catalina Foothills get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Catalina Foothills?
July, with a typical high of 100° and a low of 74°. About 166 days a year reach 90° and 73 reach 100° (Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Catalina Foothills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 20 and the first fall frost by November 27, about 280 frost-free days, at Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ.
What growing zone is Catalina Foothills in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Catalina Foothills?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Catalina Foothills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Catalina Foothills.
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.