Photo: User:Ceemo · CC BY-SA 3.0Peoria reaches 100° on about 92 days a year, more than all but 79 U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 43°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 61°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 97% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about February 5; in half of years the first frost comes by December 11.
A year in Peoria at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Peoria’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Peoria’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Peoria feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 306 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 5 and the first by December 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wittmann 1se, AZ, 11 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Peoria’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. 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 10 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 31 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Youngtown, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Peoria
31% 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 Wittmann 1se, AZ.
Living with Peoria’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
306 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 5 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December. 223 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Peoria from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 40%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Peoria and its neighbors
Surprise has the coldest January nights next door (41°, 2° colder) and Glendale the hottest July afternoons (106°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Peoria’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria, AZ | 43° | 103° | 10" | 0.0" |
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | 42° | 105° | 7" | 0.8" |
| Henderson, NV | 40° | 105° | 5" | 0.2" |
| 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 Peoria averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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. In a city of 201,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Peoria compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Peoria’s place among Arizona’s.
Peoria weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Peoria’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Youngtown, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| February | 68° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| March | 74° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| April | 82° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| May | 91° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| June | 100° | 72° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| July | 103° | 79° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 87° – 94° |
| August | 102° | 78° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 87° – 95° |
| September | 97° | 72° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 80° – 87° |
| October | 86° | 60° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| November | 74° | 49° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| December | 64° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| Year | 84° | 59° | 10.3" | 0.0" | 31 | 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 Peoria’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 Peoria’s center.
- Snow: Youngtown, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wittmann 1se, AZ, 11 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; 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 Peoria’s climate
What is the weather like in Peoria?
A typical July afternoon reaches 103°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 88 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Peoria in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 13 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Peoria get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Youngtown, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Peoria?
July, with a typical high of 103° and a low of 79°. About 157 days a year reach 90° and 92 reach 100° (Wittmann 1se, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Peoria?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 5 and the first fall frost by December 11, about 306 frost-free days, at Wittmann 1se, AZ.
What growing zone is Peoria in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Peoria?
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 Peoria getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Peoria.
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.