Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0McNeal reaches 100° on about 35 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 30°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 96% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.6°, most of all in March. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 6, with the first autumn frost due around November 10.
A year in McNeal at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McNeal’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McNeal’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in McNeal feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mc Neal, AZ, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McNeal’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 12 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 42 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Mc Neal, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in McNeal
54% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
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 Neal, AZ.
Living with McNeal’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McNeal from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McNeal and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McNeal yet.
Climates most like McNeal’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNeal, AZ | 30° | 94° | 12" | 0.5" |
| Truth or Consequences, NM | 29° | 94° | 10" | 0.9" |
| Andrews, TX | 30° | 95° | 15" | 1.7" |
| Hesperia, CA | 36° | 94° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
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 McNeal averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 McNeal compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McNeal’s place among Arizona’s.
McNeal weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McNeal’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mc Neal, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 30° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| February | 66° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| March | 72° | 38° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| April | 79° | 44° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 87° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| June | 96° | 61° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 94° | 66° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 92° | 65° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| September | 89° | 59° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| October | 82° | 47° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 71° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| December | 61° | 30° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| Year | 79° | 47° | 12.0" | 0.5" | 42 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where McNeal’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 McNeal’s center.
- Snow: Mc Neal, AZ (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mc Neal, AZ, 0.9 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 McNeal’s climate
What is the weather like in McNeal?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 30°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McNeal in winter?
December nights average 30°. About 63 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does McNeal get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Mc Neal, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in McNeal?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 66°. About 131 days a year reach 90° and 35 reach 100° (Mc Neal, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in McNeal?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 215 frost-free days, at Mc Neal, AZ.
What growing zone is McNeal in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit McNeal?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is McNeal getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McNeal.
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.