Photo: The original uploader was Tillman at English Wikipedia. · CC BY 2.0Douglas reaches 100° on about 18 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Douglas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Douglas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Douglas’ place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Douglas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 235 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 13. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Douglas Bisbee Inl Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Douglas, AZ, 4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Douglas’ center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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
July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 42 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Mc Neal, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Douglas
52% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Douglas, AZ.
Living with Douglas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
235 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 18 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 7.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Douglas from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 41%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Douglas and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Douglas yet.
Climates most like Douglas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas, AZ | 31° | 94° | 13" | 0.5" |
| Andrews, TX | 30° | 95° | 15" | 1.7" |
| Truth or Consequences, NM | 29° | 94° | 10" | 0.9" |
| Hesperia, CA | 36° | 94° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
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 Douglas averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 70% 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 Douglas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Douglas’ place among Arizona’s.
Douglas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Douglas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mc Neal, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 31° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| February | 67° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| March | 73° | 39° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| April | 80° | 44° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 88° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 97° | 62° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 94° | 67° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 93° | 66° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| September | 90° | 60° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| October | 82° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 72° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| December | 62° | 31° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| Year | 80° | 48° | 12.6" | 0.5" | 42 | 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 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Douglas’ 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 Douglas’ center.
- Snow: Mc Neal, AZ.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Douglas, AZ, 4 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Douglas Bisbee Inl Airport, 6 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 Douglas’ climate
What is the weather like in Douglas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Douglas in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 75 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Douglas get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Mc Neal, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Douglas?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 67°. About 111 days a year reach 90° and 18 reach 100° (Douglas, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Douglas?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 235 frost-free days, at Douglas, AZ.
What growing zone is Douglas in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Douglas?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Douglas getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Douglas.
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.