Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0El Mirage reaches 100° on about 115 days a year, more than all but 41 U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 42°. Precipitation peaks in February and eases off in June. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on almost every U.S. town. Tender plants can go out after about January 20; in half of years the first frost comes by December 15.
A year in El Mirage at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about El Mirage’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with El Mirage’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in El Mirage feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 331 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 20 and the first by December 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Youngtown, AZ, 1.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts El Mirage’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 8 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 31 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Youngtown, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in El Mirage
26% 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 Youngtown, AZ.
Living with El Mirage’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
331 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 20 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 7.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in El Mirage from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 43%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →El Mirage and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of El Mirage in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like El Mirage’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Mirage, AZ | 42° | 106° | 8" | 0.0" |
| Garnet, CA | 43° | 105° | 5" | 0.0" |
| Boulder City, NV | 41° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 El Mirage averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 98% 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 Mirage compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with El Mirage’s place among Arizona’s.
El Mirage weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at El Mirage’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Youngtown, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| February | 70° | 45° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| March | 77° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| April | 85° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| May | 94° | 64° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| June | 103° | 73° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 82° – 92° |
| July | 106° | 80° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 89° – 96° |
| August | 104° | 80° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 89° – 96° |
| September | 99° | 73° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 82° – 88° |
| October | 88° | 60° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| November | 76° | 48° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| December | 66° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| Year | 86° | 59° | 7.9" | 0.0" | 31 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 68°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where El Mirage’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 Mirage’s center.
- Snow: Youngtown, AZ (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Youngtown, AZ, 1.5 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 El Mirage’s climate
What is the weather like in El Mirage?
A typical July afternoon reaches 106°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 49 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in El Mirage in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does El Mirage get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Youngtown, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in El Mirage?
July, with a typical high of 106° and a low of 80°. About 175 days a year reach 90° and 115 reach 100° (Youngtown, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in El Mirage?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 20 and the first fall frost by December 15, about 331 frost-free days, at Youngtown, AZ.
What growing zone is El Mirage in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit El Mirage?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is El Mirage getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in El Mirage.
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.