Stout's Hotel · Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0Gila Bend reaches 100° on about 134 days a year, more than all but 0 U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 41°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in August and the lightest in June. Its yearly precipitation falls short of almost every U.S. town. For walks and days out, the stretch from November to March brings highs of 68–80°.
A year in Gila Bend at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gila Bend’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gila Bend’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Gila Bend feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 323 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 23 and the first by December 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gila Bend 2se, AZ, 2.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gila Bend’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 6 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 23 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Gila Bend 2se, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Gila Bend
17% 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 Gila Bend 2se, AZ.
Living with Gila Bend’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
323 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 23 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 54 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gila Bend from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gila Bend and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gila Bend yet.
Climates most like Gila Bend’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gila Bend, AZ | 41° | 108° | 6" | 0.0" |
| Mecca, CA | 43° | 108° | 3" | 0.0" |
| Moapa Valley, NV | 37° | 108° | 6" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 Gila Bend averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Gila Bend compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gila Bend’s place among Arizona’s.
Gila Bend weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gila Bend’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gila Bend 2se, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69° | 41° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| February | 73° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| March | 80° | 50° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| April | 87° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| May | 96° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| June | 105° | 73° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 84° – 94° |
| July | 108° | 80° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 90° – 98° |
| August | 107° | 80° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 90° – 98° |
| September | 102° | 73° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 83° – 91° |
| October | 90° | 60° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| November | 78° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| December | 68° | 40° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| Year | 89° | 59° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 55° to 69°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Gila Bend’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 Gila Bend’s center.
- Snow: Gila Bend 2se, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gila Bend 2se, AZ, 2.8 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 Gila Bend’s climate
What is the weather like in Gila Bend?
A typical July afternoon reaches 108°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 14 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gila Bend in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 10 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Gila Bend get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Gila Bend 2se, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Gila Bend?
July, with a typical high of 108° and a low of 80°. About 192 days a year reach 90° and 134 reach 100° (Gila Bend 2se, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Gila Bend?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 23 and the first fall frost by December 11, about 323 frost-free days, at Gila Bend 2se, AZ.
What growing zone is Gila Bend in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gila Bend?
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 Gila Bend getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gila Bend.
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.