Louise Lincoln Kerr House and Studio · Photo: Tony the Marine · CC BY-SA 3.0Paradise Valley reaches 100° on about 93 days a year, more than all but 77 U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 42°. The wettest month is February; the driest is June. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 98% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from November to April, with highs of 66–84°.
A year in Paradise Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Paradise Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Paradise Valley’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Paradise Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 93 days a year reach 100°
And 161 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Scottsdale Muni Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Paradise Valley’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. 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 9 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Tempe Asu, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Paradise Valley
21% 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 Scottsdale Muni Airport.
Living with Paradise Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 7 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 93 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Paradise Valley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Paradise Valley and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Paradise Valley in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Paradise Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley, AZ | 42° | 105° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Garnet, CA | 43° | 105° | 5" | 0.0" |
| Boulder City, NV | 41° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 Paradise Valley averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in all but 162 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 Paradise Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Paradise Valley’s place among Arizona’s.
Paradise Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Paradise Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tempe Asu, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 42° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| February | 70° | 45° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| March | 77° | 49° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 84° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| May | 93° | 63° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| June | 103° | 71° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 82° – 91° |
| July | 105° | 79° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 89° – 95° |
| August | 103° | 78° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 87° – 95° |
| September | 99° | 73° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 82° – 88° |
| October | 88° | 61° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| November | 76° | 49° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| December | 66° | 42° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| Year | 86° | 59° | 8.7" | 0.0" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Paradise Valley’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 Paradise Valley’s center.
- Snow: Tempe Asu, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Scottsdale Muni Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Paradise Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Paradise Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 105°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 75 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Paradise Valley in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Paradise Valley get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Tempe Asu, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Paradise Valley?
July, with a typical high of 105° and a low of 79°. About 161 days a year reach 90° and 93 reach 100° (Scottsdale Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Paradise Valley?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 70% of winters at Scottsdale Muni Airport, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Paradise Valley in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Paradise Valley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Paradise Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 162 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Paradise Valley.
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.