North Central Avenue Streetscape Historic District · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0Morenci reaches 100° on about 40 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Morenci at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Morenci’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Morenci’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Morenci feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Duncan, AZ, 25 miles from the town’s center, 410 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Morenci’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 14 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 55 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Clifton, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Morenci
63% 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 Duncan, AZ.
Living with Morenci’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April and October. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Morenci from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Morenci and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Morenci yet.
Climates most like Morenci’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morenci, AZ | 32° | 97° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Canutillo, TX | 32° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Valle Vista, CA | 38° | 98° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Morenci averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Morenci compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Morenci’s place among Arizona’s.
Morenci weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Morenci’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clifton, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 32° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| February | 63° | 36° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| March | 70° | 40° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 78° | 46° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| May | 87° | 54° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 97° | 64° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| July | 97° | 70° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| August | 94° | 68° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 87° |
| September | 89° | 61° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| October | 80° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 67° | 38° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 61° |
| December | 58° | 32° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| Year | 78° | 49° | 14.1" | 0.0" | 55 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Morenci’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 Morenci’s center.
- Snow: Clifton, AZ (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Duncan, AZ, 25 miles from the town’s center, 410 ft lower; 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 Morenci’s climate
What is the weather like in Morenci?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Morenci in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 113 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Morenci get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Clifton, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Morenci?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 70°. About 130 days a year reach 90° and 40 reach 100° (Duncan, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Morenci?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 183 frost-free days, at Duncan, AZ.
What growing zone is Morenci in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Morenci?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Morenci getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Morenci.
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.