Photo: Pretzelpaws [1] · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see hotter July days than Oatman
January nights here settle around 44°. February is the wettest month here, with about 39 times the rain of June. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than almost every U.S. town. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about February 18, with the first autumn frost due around December 2.
A year in Oatman at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oatman’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oatman’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Oatman feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 288 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 18 and the first by December 2. Frost and day counts come from Yucca 1 Nne, AZ, 18 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oatman’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 8 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 28 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Yucca 1 Nne, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Oatman
38% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Yucca 1 Nne, AZ.
Living with Oatman’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
288 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 18 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oatman from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oatman and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Oatman yet.
Climates most like Oatman’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oatman, AZ | 44° | 101° | 8" | 0.0" |
| Hillcrest, CA | 40° | 100° | 10" | 0.1" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
| Washington, UT | 32° | 102° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
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 Oatman averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Oatman compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oatman’s place among Arizona’s.
Oatman weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oatman’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Yucca 1 Nne, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 44° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| February | 63° | 45° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| March | 70° | 49° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 68° |
| April | 78° | 54° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| May | 87° | 64° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| June | 97° | 73° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| July | 101° | 80° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 87° – 93° |
| August | 101° | 78° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 85° – 93° |
| September | 94° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| October | 82° | 62° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| November | 69° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| December | 58° | 44° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| Year | 80° | 60° | 8.1" | 0.0" | 28 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Oatman’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 Oatman’s center.
- Snow: Yucca 1 Nne, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Yucca 1 Nne, AZ, 18 miles from the town’s center, 780 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Oatman’s climate
What is the weather like in Oatman?
A typical July afternoon reaches 101°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 108 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oatman in winter?
January nights average 44°. About 15 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 48°.
How much snow does Oatman get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Yucca 1 Nne, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Oatman?
July, with a typical high of 101° and a low of 80°. About 150 days a year reach 90° and 87 reach 100° (Yucca 1 Nne, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Oatman?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 18 and the first fall frost by December 2, about 288 frost-free days, at Yucca 1 Nne, AZ.
What growing zone is Oatman in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oatman?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Oatman getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oatman.
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.