Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0Gold Canyon reaches 100° on about 102 days a year, more than all but 65 U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 42°. Rain follows the seasons: February brings about 25 times as much as June. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 97% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around February 11; autumn frost returns near December 10.
A year in Gold Canyon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gold Canyon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gold Canyon’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Gold Canyon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 304 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 11 and the first by December 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ, 8 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gold Canyon’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 11 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 40 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Gold Canyon
24% 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 Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ.
Living with Gold Canyon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
304 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 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 Dec 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December. 103 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gold Canyon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gold Canyon and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gold Canyon in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gold Canyon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Canyon, AZ | 42° | 104° | 11" | 0.0" |
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | 42° | 105° | 7" | 0.8" |
| Henderson, NV | 40° | 105° | 5" | 0.2" |
| 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 Gold Canyon averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Gold Canyon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gold Canyon’s place among Arizona’s.
Gold Canyon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gold Canyon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 42° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| February | 69° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| March | 76° | 48° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| April | 84° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| May | 93° | 61° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| June | 103° | 70° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 81° – 90° |
| July | 104° | 77° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 88° – 93° |
| August | 103° | 76° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 86° – 94° |
| September | 98° | 71° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 80° – 87° |
| October | 87° | 59° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| November | 75° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| December | 65° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| Year | 85° | 57° | 11.2" | 0.0" | 40 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Gold Canyon’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 Gold Canyon’s center.
- Snow: Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ, 8 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; 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 Gold Canyon’s climate
What is the weather like in Gold Canyon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 104°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 80 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gold Canyon in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 8 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Gold Canyon get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Gold Canyon?
July, with a typical high of 104° and a low of 77°. About 168 days a year reach 90° and 102 reach 100° (Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Gold Canyon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 11 and the first fall frost by December 10, about 304 frost-free days, at Apache Junction 5 Ne, AZ.
What growing zone is Gold Canyon in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gold Canyon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Gold Canyon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gold Canyon.
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.