Photo: RodneyRamsey · CC BY 2.0Doney Park is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 86°. In January, nights here are colder than in 74% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.7° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about June 16, with the first autumn frost due around September 19.
A year in Doney Park at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Doney Park’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Doney Park’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Doney Park feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 94 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 16 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sunset Crater Nm, AZ, 7 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Doney Park’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Walnut Canyon Nm, AZ, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Doney Park
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sunset Crater Nm, AZ.
Living with Doney Park’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
94 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 69 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Doney Park from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Doney Park and its neighbors
Flagstaff has the coldest January nights next door (16°, 1° colder) and Mountain View Ranches the hottest July afternoons (87°, 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 Doney Park’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| The Pinery, CO | 17° | 86° | 17" | 58" |
| Cheyenne, WY | 16° | 85° | 15" | 65" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Livingston, MT | 17° | 85° | 14" | 63" |
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 Doney Park averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Doney Park compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Doney Park’s place among Arizona’s.
Doney Park weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Doney Park’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Walnut Canyon Nm, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 17° | 1.4" | 13.3" | 6 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 48° | 20° | 1.5" | 11.0" | 6 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 55° | 26° | 1.2" | 7.9" | 5 | 34° – 46° |
| April | 63° | 30° | 0.7" | 5.5" | 4 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 72° | 37° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 4 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 83° | 44° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 53° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 66° – 72° |
| August | 82° | 51° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 78° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 57° – 63° |
| October | 66° | 32° | 1.3" | 1.1" | 5 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 54° | 23° | 1.0" | 3.5" | 4 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 45° | 16° | 1.5" | 9.8" | 5 | 24° – 36° |
| Year | 65° | 33° | 16.4" | 52.4" | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 46°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Doney Park’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 Doney Park’s center.
- Snow: Walnut Canyon Nm, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sunset Crater Nm, AZ, 7 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher; 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 Doney Park’s climate
What is the weather like in Doney Park?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Doney Park in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 215 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Doney Park get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Walnut Canyon Nm, AZ, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Doney Park?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 53°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Sunset Crater Nm, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Doney Park?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 16 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 94 frost-free days, at Sunset Crater Nm, AZ.
What growing zone is Doney Park in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Doney Park?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Doney Park getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Doney Park.
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.