Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Hard Rock

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Climate in Hard Rock · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Hard Rock sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 9 inches a year

Expect July afternoons of about 91°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 81% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in March. The heating season runs November to April: each of those months averages under 50°.

Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns#5 coldest of 139 in AZ
Drier than 98% of U.S. towns#43 driest of 139 in AZ
All AZ rankings →

A year in Hard Rock at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan43°17°
Feb49°22°
Mar58°28°
Apr66°33°
May76°41° Last frost ~May 161 day 90°+
Jun87°50° 8 days 90°+
Jul91°58° 16 days 90°+
Aug88°57° 7 days 90°+Wettest
Sep81°48°
Oct69°36° First frost ~Oct 10
Nov now55°25°
Dec43°16°

What stands out about Hard Rock’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hard Rock’s place in Arizona beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Hard Rock feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
45° / 19°
Snow is rare
Spring
66° / 34°
Last frost around May 16
Summer
89° / 55°
31 days reach 90°
Fall
68° / 37°
First frost around Oct 10
Best months to be outsideMaySepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 147 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Keams Canyon, AZ, 23 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher.

172
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
6th most of 138 in Arizona
More freezing nights than 96% of U.S. towns
3
nights at or below 0°
6th most of 138 in Arizona
More nights at or below 0° than 60% of U.S. towns
31
days that reach 90°
127th most of 138 in Arizona
More 90° days than 64% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
12th fewest of 138 in Arizona
Fewer 100° days than 56% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Hard Rock’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

16
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 9 inches of rain a year

August is the wettest month and June the driest.

9"
Rain + melted snow a year
43rd driest of 139 in Arizona
Drier than 98% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

1.3"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Hard Rock

91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,722 heating degree daysMore heating than 60% of U.S. towns
556 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 81% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Keams Canyon, AZ.

Living here

Living with Hard Rock’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

147 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 16 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 10.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hard Rock from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Hard Rock and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hard Rock yet.

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Hard Rock averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).

+1.3°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 55% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.2°now 32°, was 31°
Spring+1.5°now 50°, was 49°
Summer+1.3°now 72°, was 70°
Fall+1.1°now 52°, was 51°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Hard Rock compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hard Rock’s place among Arizona’s.

Summer heat91° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns122nd hottest of 139 in Arizona
Winter cold17° January low
Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns5th coldest of 139 in Arizona
Precipitation9" a year
Drier than 98% of U.S. towns43rd driest of 139 in Arizona
Hot days31 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 64% of U.S. towns127th most of 138 in Arizona
Freezing nights172 a year
More freezing nights than 96% of U.S. towns6th most of 138 in Arizona
Growing season147 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 93% of U.S. towns9th shortest of 117 in Arizona
Month by month

Hard Rock weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hard Rock’s center. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January43°17°0.8"24° – 36°
February49°22°0.7"30° – 42°
March58°28°0.7"38° – 48°
April66°33°0.4"44° – 54°
May76°41°0.4"52° – 63°
June87°50°0.1"63° – 73°
July91°58°1.0"70° – 78°
August88°57°1.3"69° – 77°
September81°48°1.0"60° – 68°
October69°36°0.8"48° – 57°
November55°25°0.5"33° – 47°
December43°16°0.6"23° – 36°
Year67°36°8.5"
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Hard Rock’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 Hard Rock’s center.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Keams Canyon, AZ, 23 miles from the town’s center, 250 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 Hard Rock’s climate

What is the weather like in Hard Rock?

A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 17°. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Hard Rock in winter?

December nights average 16°. About 172 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.

How hot does it get in Hard Rock?

July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 58°. About 31 days a year reach 90° (Keams Canyon, AZ).

When is the first and last frost in Hard Rock?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 147 frost-free days, at Keams Canyon, AZ.

What growing zone is Hard Rock in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.

What is the best time of year to visit Hard Rock?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Hard Rock getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hard Rock.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.