Hondah’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Hondah at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hondah’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hondah’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Hondah feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mc Nary 2n, AZ, 5 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hondah’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 70 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pinetop 2e, AZ, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 90 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hondah
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Mc Nary 2n, AZ.
Living with Hondah’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 20 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 8.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hondah from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hondah and its neighbors
Pinetop-Lakeside has the coldest January nights next door (20°, 1° colder) and Pinetop-Lakeside the hottest July afternoons (84°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hondah’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hondah, AZ | 21° | 82° | 22" | 70" |
| Columbia Falls, MT | 18° | 82° | 20" | 54" |
| Moscow, ID | 25° | 84° | 25" | 51" |
| Big Bear City, CA | 27° | 81° | 18" | 59" |
| Castle Rock, CO | 18° | 85° | 18" | 58" |
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 Hondah averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A smaller 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 Hondah compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hondah’s place among Arizona’s.
Hondah weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hondah’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pinetop 2e, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 21° | 2.1" | 16.5" | 7 | 17 | 26° – 39° |
| February | 49° | 24° | 2.1" | 14.7" | 7 | 11 | 30° – 42° |
| March | 55° | 28° | 1.7" | 10.4" | 7 | 6 | 35° – 47° |
| April | 62° | 33° | 0.8" | 4.4" | 4 | 1 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 40° | 0.7" | 0.7" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 82° | 48° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 48° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| October | 66° | 37° | 1.6" | 2.8" | 6 | 1 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 55° | 27° | 1.5" | 5.2" | 5 | 3 | 34° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 21° | 2.0" | 15.6" | 7 | 12 | 28° – 38° |
| Year | 64° | 36° | 21.6" | 70.3" | 90 | 51 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Hondah’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 Hondah’s center.
- Snow: Pinetop 2e, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mc Nary 2n, AZ, 5 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Hondah’s climate
What is the weather like in Hondah?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hondah in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Hondah get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter at Pinetop 2e, AZ, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 51 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hondah?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Mc Nary 2n, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Hondah?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 142 frost-free days, at Mc Nary 2n, AZ.
What growing zone is Hondah in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hondah?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hondah getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hondah.
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.