Photo: Cityofprescott · CC BY-SA 3.0Prescott’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Prescott at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Prescott’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Prescott’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Prescott feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Prescott, AZ, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Prescott’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 snow a winter
Snow, measured at Prescott, AZ, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 63 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Prescott
83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Prescott, AZ.
Living with Prescott’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, September and October. 146 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Prescott from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Prescott and its neighbors
Prescott Valley the hottest July afternoons (91°, 1° 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 Prescott’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott, AZ | 26° | 90° | 15" | 10" |
| Clovis, NM | 24° | 91° | 17" | 13" |
| Walla Walla, WA | 30° | 91° | 16" | 9.0" |
| Pendleton, OR | 28° | 90° | 14" | 16" |
| Carson City, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 14" |
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 Prescott averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Prescott compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Prescott’s place among Arizona’s.
Prescott weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Prescott’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Prescott, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 26° | 1.5" | 1.9" | 6 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| February | 56° | 28° | 1.6" | 3.1" | 6 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| March | 62° | 33° | 1.4" | 2.5" | 5 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| April | 68° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 77° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 88° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| July | 90° | 60° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 78° |
| August | 88° | 59° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 83° | 52° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| October | 73° | 41° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 62° | 31° | 0.9" | 0.9" | 4 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| December | 52° | 25° | 1.3" | 1.4" | 5 | 1 | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 71° | 41° | 15.4" | 10.2" | 63 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Prescott’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 Prescott’s center.
- Snow: Prescott, AZ (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Prescott, AZ, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower; 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 Prescott’s climate
What is the weather like in Prescott?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Prescott in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 128 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Prescott get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Prescott, AZ, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Prescott?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 60°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Prescott, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Prescott?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 172 frost-free days, at Prescott, AZ.
What growing zone is Prescott in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Prescott?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Prescott getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Prescott.
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.