Congress’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 100°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Congress at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Congress’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Congress’ place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Congress feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 254 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 7 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from Wickenburg, AZ, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Congress’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 June the driest. Rain falls on about 31 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Wickenburg, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Congress
41% 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 Wickenburg, AZ.
Living with Congress’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
254 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 7 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 22 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Congress from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Congress and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Congress yet.
Climates most like Congress’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress, AZ | 36° | 100° | 12" | 0.1" |
| Orange Cove, CA | 39° | 98° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Monahans, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 0.7" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
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 Congress averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Congress compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Congress’ place among Arizona’s.
Congress weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Congress’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wickenburg, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 36° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| February | 65° | 38° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| March | 71° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| April | 78° | 46° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| May | 87° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| June | 97° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| July | 100° | 71° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 81° – 88° |
| August | 98° | 70° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| September | 93° | 63° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| October | 82° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 71° | 41° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| December | 61° | 35° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| Year | 80° | 51° | 12.3" | 0.1" | 31 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Congress’ 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 Congress’ center.
- Snow: Wickenburg, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wickenburg, AZ, 14 miles from the town’s center, 830 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Congress’ climate
What is the weather like in Congress?
A typical July afternoon reaches 100°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 127 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Congress in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 47 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Congress get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Wickenburg, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Congress?
July, with a typical high of 100° and a low of 71°. About 162 days a year reach 90° and 94 reach 100° (Wickenburg, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Congress?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 7 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 254 frost-free days, at Wickenburg, AZ.
What growing zone is Congress in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Congress?
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 Congress getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Congress.
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.