Photo: Chris J · CC BY-SA 2.0Maricopa reaches 100° on about 124 days a year, more than all but 6 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 106°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Maricopa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Maricopa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maricopa’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Maricopa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 274 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 23 and the first by November 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Maricopa 4 N, AZ, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Maricopa’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 7 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 32 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Maricopa 4 N, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Maricopa
26% 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 Maricopa 4 N, AZ.
Living with Maricopa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
274 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 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 Nov 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March and November. 27 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maricopa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Maricopa and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Maricopa in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Maricopa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa, AZ | 39° | 106° | 7" | 0.0" |
| Sunrise Manor, NV | 37° | 107° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Garnet, CA | 43° | 105° | 5" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Eagle Pass, TX | 41° | 98° | 19" | 0.0" |
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 Maricopa averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
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 Maricopa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maricopa’s place among Arizona’s.
Maricopa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Maricopa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Maricopa 4 N, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 39° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| February | 71° | 42° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| March | 79° | 47° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 86° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| May | 95° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| June | 105° | 71° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 83° – 92° |
| July | 106° | 79° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 89° – 95° |
| August | 105° | 78° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 87° – 96° |
| September | 100° | 71° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 82° – 88° |
| October | 89° | 58° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| November | 77° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| December | 66° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 56° |
| Year | 87° | 57° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 32 | 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 Maricopa’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 Maricopa’s center.
- Snow: Maricopa 4 N, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Maricopa 4 N, AZ, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Maricopa’s climate
What is the weather like in Maricopa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 106°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 36 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Maricopa in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 32 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Maricopa get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Maricopa 4 N, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Maricopa?
July, with a typical high of 106° and a low of 79°. About 183 days a year reach 90° and 124 reach 100° (Maricopa 4 N, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Maricopa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 23 and the first fall frost by November 24, about 274 frost-free days, at Maricopa 4 N, AZ.
What growing zone is Maricopa in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Maricopa?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Maricopa 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 Maricopa.
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.