Paulden’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Paulden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Paulden’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Paulden’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Paulden feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chino Valley, AZ, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Paulden’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Walnut Creek, AZ, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 56 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Paulden
77% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Chino Valley, AZ.
Living with Paulden’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and October. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Paulden from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Paulden and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Paulden yet.
Climates most like Paulden’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulden, AZ | 27° | 95° | 12" | 5.5" |
| Artesia, NM | 27° | 96° | 12" | 3.8" |
| Seminole, TX | 29° | 94° | 16" | 4.8" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Clarkston, WA | 30° | 93° | 12" | 13" |
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 Paulden averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Paulden compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Paulden’s place among Arizona’s.
Paulden weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Paulden’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Walnut Creek, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 27° | 1.2" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 36° – 47° |
| February | 59° | 29° | 1.3" | 1.8" | 6 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| March | 66° | 34° | 1.0" | 1.0" | 5 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| April | 73° | 39° | 0.4" | 0.5" | 3 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| May | 82° | 46° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| June | 92° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| July | 95° | 62° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| August | 92° | 61° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 87° | 54° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| October | 77° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| November | 65° | 32° | 0.7" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 54° | 26° | 1.0" | 1.6" | 5 | 0 | 36° – 44° |
| Year | 75° | 42° | 12.4" | 5.5" | 56 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Paulden’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 Paulden’s center.
- Snow: Walnut Creek, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chino Valley, AZ, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 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 Paulden’s climate
What is the weather like in Paulden?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Paulden in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Paulden get?
About 5.5 inches in a normal winter at Walnut Creek, AZ, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Paulden?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 62°. About 72 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Chino Valley, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Paulden?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 178 frost-free days, at Chino Valley, AZ.
What growing zone is Paulden in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Paulden?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Paulden getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Paulden.
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.