Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Nutrioso
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 16° on average. Seasons differ by 62°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 90% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around June 15; autumn frost returns near September 21.
A year in Nutrioso at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nutrioso’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nutrioso’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Nutrioso feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 96 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 15 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alpine, AZ, 8 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nutrioso’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alpine, AZ, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Nutrioso
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Alpine, AZ.
Living with Nutrioso’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
96 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Jun 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nutrioso from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nutrioso and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Nutrioso yet.
Climates most like Nutrioso’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutrioso, AZ | 16° | 78° | 19" | 45" |
| Bigfork, MT | 19° | 82° | 19" | 51" |
| Escanaba, MI | 11° | 77° | 30" | 47" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
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 Nutrioso averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Nutrioso compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nutrioso’s place among Arizona’s.
Nutrioso weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nutrioso’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alpine, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 16° | 1.3" | 10.7" | 5 | 26° – 36° |
| February | 47° | 19° | 1.2" | 9.9" | 5 | 27° – 39° |
| March | 53° | 23° | 1.1" | 8.2" | 4 | 31° – 42° |
| April | 59° | 28° | 0.7" | 1.7" | 2 | 38° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.5" | 4 | 46° – 55° |
| June | 77° | 41° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 55° – 63° |
| July | 78° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 61° – 66° |
| August | 75° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 59° – 66° |
| September | 71° | 42° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 53° – 59° |
| October | 63° | 31° | 1.4" | 1.3" | 5 | 44° – 51° |
| November | 53° | 22° | 1.2" | 4.6" | 3 | 30° – 46° |
| December | 45° | 16° | 1.5" | 7.9" | 5 | 25° – 35° |
| Year | 61° | 31° | 18.6" | 44.8" | 75 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Nutrioso’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 Nutrioso’s center.
- Snow: Alpine, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alpine, AZ, 8 miles from the town’s center, 360 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 Nutrioso’s climate
What is the weather like in Nutrioso?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nutrioso in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 218 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Nutrioso get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Alpine, AZ, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Nutrioso?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Alpine, AZ.
When is the first and last frost in Nutrioso?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 15 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 96 frost-free days, at Alpine, AZ.
What growing zone is Nutrioso in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nutrioso?
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 Nutrioso getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nutrioso.
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.