Summer arrives in force in Freedom Acres, hotter than in 91% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 25° on average. Only 69° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 89% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Freedom Acres at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Freedom Acres’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Freedom Acres’ place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Freedom Acres feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Payson, AZ, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Freedom Acres’ center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 snow a winter
Snow, measured at Payson, AZ, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Freedom Acres
79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Payson, AZ.
Living with Freedom Acres’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and October. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Freedom Acres from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Freedom Acres and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Freedom Acres yet.
Climates most like Freedom Acres’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Acres, AZ | 25° | 93° | 20" | 19" |
| Amarillo, TX | 24° | 92° | 19" | 17" |
| Clinton, UT | 22° | 92° | 18" | 23" |
| Liberal, KS | 21° | 94° | 20" | 14" |
| Clovis, NM | 24° | 91° | 17" | 13" |
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 Freedom Acres averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Freedom Acres compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Freedom Acres’ place among Arizona’s.
Freedom Acres weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Freedom Acres’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Payson, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 25° | 2.4" | 4.7" | 5 | 2 | 36° – 47° |
| February | 58° | 28° | 2.4" | 4.9" | 6 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| March | 64° | 32° | 1.9" | 2.0" | 5 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| April | 71° | 37° | 0.8" | 2.0" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| May | 80° | 44° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| June | 90° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| July | 93° | 60° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| August | 90° | 60° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| September | 86° | 53° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 75° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 63° | 31° | 1.4" | 1.3" | 4 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| December | 55° | 24° | 2.1" | 3.6" | 6 | 1 | 36° – 45° |
| Year | 73° | 41° | 20.2" | 18.5" | 62 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Freedom Acres’ 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 Freedom Acres’ center.
- Snow: Payson, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Payson, AZ, 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 Freedom Acres’ climate
What is the weather like in Freedom Acres?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Freedom Acres in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 125 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Freedom Acres get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Payson, AZ, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Freedom Acres?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 60°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Payson, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Freedom Acres?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 176 frost-free days, at Payson, AZ.
What growing zone is Freedom Acres in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Freedom Acres?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Freedom Acres getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Freedom Acres.
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.