Type B at 2019 E. Water St · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Catalina reaches 100° on about 68 days a year, more than all but 107 U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 35°. August is the wettest month, June the driest. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 94% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 72–84°, runs through March, April, October and November.
A year in Catalina at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Catalina’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Catalina’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Catalina feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 222 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Catalina Sp, AZ, 5 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Catalina’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 22°. 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 14 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June 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
47% 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 Catalina Sp, AZ.
Living with Catalina’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
222 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 2 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 55 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Catalina from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Catalina and its neighbors
Oro Valley the hottest July afternoons (100°, 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’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina, AZ | 35° | 98° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Valle Vista, CA | 38° | 98° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Monahans, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 0.7" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
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 averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger 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 compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Catalina’s place among Arizona’s.
Catalina weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Catalina’s 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 | 63° | 35° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| February | 66° | 38° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| March | 72° | 42° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| April | 80° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| May | 89° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| June | 99° | 65° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 98° | 71° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 81° – 87° |
| August | 97° | 69° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 81° – 88° |
| September | 93° | 64° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| October | 84° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| November | 72° | 42° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| December | 62° | 35° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| Year | 81° | 51° | 13.7" | 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 49° to 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Catalina’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 Catalina’s center.
- Snow: Tucson Camp Ave Exp, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Catalina Sp, AZ, 5 miles from the town’s center, 390 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’s climate
What is the weather like in Catalina?
A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Catalina in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 67 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Catalina 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?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 71°. About 157 days a year reach 90° and 68 reach 100° (Catalina Sp, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Catalina?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 222 frost-free days, at Catalina Sp, AZ.
What growing zone is Catalina in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Catalina?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Catalina getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Catalina.
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.