Picture Rocks reaches 100° on about 75 days a year, more than all but 101 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 103°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Picture Rocks at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Picture Rocks’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Picture Rocks’ place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Picture Rocks feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 287 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 23 and the first by December 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tucson 17 Nw, AZ, 7 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Picture Rocks’ center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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
August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 45 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Tucson 17 Nw, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Picture Rocks
30% 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 Tucson 17 Nw, AZ.
Living with Picture Rocks’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
287 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 23 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March and November. 84 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Picture Rocks from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Picture Rocks and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Picture Rocks in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Picture Rocks’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture Rocks, AZ | 39° | 103° | 10" | 0.0" |
| Enterprise, NV | 37° | 103° | 5" | 0.2" |
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | 42° | 105° | 7" | 0.8" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Eagle Pass, TX | 41° | 98° | 19" | 0.0" |
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 Picture Rocks averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Picture Rocks compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Picture Rocks’ place among Arizona’s.
Picture Rocks weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Picture Rocks’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tucson 17 Nw, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 39° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| February | 71° | 41° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| March | 77° | 46° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| April | 85° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| May | 94° | 60° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| June | 103° | 70° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 81° – 89° |
| July | 103° | 75° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 86° – 92° |
| August | 102° | 74° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 85° – 93° |
| September | 98° | 69° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| October | 88° | 57° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| November | 77° | 46° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 68° |
| December | 66° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| Year | 86° | 55° | 10.1" | 0.0" | 45 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Picture Rocks’ 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 Picture Rocks’ center.
- Snow: Tucson 17 Nw, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tucson 17 Nw, AZ, 7 miles from the town’s center, 430 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 Picture Rocks’ climate
What is the weather like in Picture Rocks?
A typical July afternoon reaches 103°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 90 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Picture Rocks in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 11 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 48°.
How much snow does Picture Rocks get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Tucson 17 Nw, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Picture Rocks?
July, with a typical high of 103° and a low of 75°. About 161 days a year reach 90° and 75 reach 100° (Tucson 17 Nw, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Picture Rocks?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 23 and the first fall frost by December 6, about 287 frost-free days, at Tucson 17 Nw, AZ.
What growing zone is Picture Rocks in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Picture Rocks?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Picture Rocks getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Picture Rocks.
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.