Eleven Arches, The · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Precipitation in El Capitan trails that of 90% of U.S. towns: 19 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 92°. Its July heat outdoes that of 86% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. The heating season runs December to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in El Capitan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about El Capitan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with El Capitan’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in El Capitan feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 253 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 11 and the first by November 21. Frost dates and degree days from Globe #3, AZ, 11 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts El Capitan’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 19 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in El Capitan
55% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Globe #3, AZ.
Living with El Capitan’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
253 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 11 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in El Capitan from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →El Capitan and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around El Capitan yet.
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 El Capitan averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 El Capitan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with El Capitan’s place among Arizona’s.
El Capitan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at El Capitan’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 35° | 2.2" | 41° – 51° |
| February | 58° | 36° | 2.2" | 42° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 40° | 1.6" | 44° – 58° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 0.6" | 52° – 63° |
| May | 80° | 53° | 0.4" | 60° – 72° |
| June | 91° | 62° | 0.3" | 71° – 79° |
| July | 92° | 66° | 2.8" | 76° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 65° | 2.9" | 74° – 82° |
| September | 85° | 60° | 1.5" | 69° – 76° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 1.2" | 60° – 69° |
| November | 64° | 42° | 1.4" | 46° – 60° |
| December | 55° | 36° | 1.9" | 41° – 50° |
| Year | 73° | 49° | 18.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where El Capitan’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 El Capitan’s center.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Globe #3, AZ, 11 miles away.
- 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 El Capitan’s climate
What is the weather like in El Capitan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 35°. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in El Capitan in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 40 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How hot does it get in El Capitan?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 66°. About 114 days a year reach 90° (Globe #3, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in El Capitan?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 11 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 253 frost-free days, at Globe #3, AZ.
What growing zone is El Capitan in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit El Capitan?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is El Capitan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in El Capitan.
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.