Elephant Head reaches 100° on about 54 days a year, more than all but 136 U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 35°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 64° apart. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 94% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 74–81°, belongs to March, April and November.
A year in Elephant Head at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elephant Head’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elephant Head’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Elephant Head feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 276 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 25 and the first by November 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Green Valley, AZ, 9 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elephant Head’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 14 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 51 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Green Valley, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Elephant Head
36% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Green Valley, AZ.
Living with Elephant Head’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
276 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 25 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April and November. 5.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elephant Head from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elephant Head and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elephant Head yet.
Climates most like Elephant Head’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant Head, AZ | 35° | 97° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Valle Vista, CA | 38° | 98° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Fort Stockton, TX | 33° | 96° | 13" | 1.4" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Elephant Head averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Elephant Head compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elephant Head’s place among Arizona’s.
Elephant Head weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elephant Head’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Green Valley, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 35° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| February | 68° | 37° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| March | 74° | 42° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| April | 81° | 46° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| May | 89° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| June | 98° | 63° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| July | 97° | 70° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 81° – 86° |
| August | 95° | 69° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| September | 92° | 63° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| October | 85° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| November | 74° | 41° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| December | 65° | 34° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| Year | 82° | 50° | 13.5" | 0.1" | 51 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Elephant Head’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 Elephant Head’s center.
- Snow: Green Valley, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Green Valley, AZ, 9 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower; 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 Elephant Head’s climate
What is the weather like in Elephant Head?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elephant Head in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 24 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Elephant Head get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Green Valley, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Elephant Head?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 70°. About 151 days a year reach 90° and 54 reach 100° (Green Valley, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Elephant Head?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 25 and the first fall frost by November 27, about 276 frost-free days, at Green Valley, AZ.
What growing zone is Elephant Head in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elephant Head?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elephant Head getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elephant Head.
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.