Drexel Heights reaches 100° on about 68 days a year, more than all but 109 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 100°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Drexel Heights at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Drexel Heights’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Drexel Heights’ place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Drexel Heights feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 307 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 5 and the first by December 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tucson International Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Drexel Heights’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 11 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 47 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Tucson International Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Drexel Heights
28% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
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 International Airport.
Living with Drexel Heights’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
307 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 5 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April and November. 31 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Drexel Heights from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 37%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Drexel Heights and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Drexel Heights in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Drexel Heights’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel Heights, AZ | 39° | 100° | 11" | 0.1" |
| Hillcrest, CA | 40° | 100° | 10" | 0.1" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Eagle Pass, TX | 41° | 98° | 19" | 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 Drexel Heights averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Drexel Heights compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Drexel Heights’ place among Arizona’s.
Drexel Heights weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Drexel Heights’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tucson International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 39° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| February | 69° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| March | 76° | 46° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| April | 83° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| May | 92° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| June | 101° | 69° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| July | 100° | 75° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 84° – 90° |
| August | 99° | 73° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 83° – 91° |
| September | 95° | 68° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| October | 87° | 57° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| November | 75° | 45° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 68° |
| December | 66° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| Year | 84° | 55° | 11.4" | 0.1" | 47 | 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 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Drexel Heights’ 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 Drexel Heights’ center.
- Snow: Tucson International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tucson International 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 Drexel Heights’ climate
What is the weather like in Drexel Heights?
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 124 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Drexel Heights in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 48°.
How much snow does Drexel Heights get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Tucson International Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Drexel Heights?
July, with a typical high of 100° and a low of 75°. About 158 days a year reach 90° and 68 reach 100° (Tucson International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Drexel Heights?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 5 and the first fall frost by December 9, about 307 frost-free days, at Tucson International Airport.
What growing zone is Drexel Heights in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Drexel Heights?
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 Drexel Heights getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Drexel Heights.
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.