Red Mesa sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 7 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 22°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 72°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 92% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 11, with the first autumn frost due around November 1.
A year in Red Mesa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Red Mesa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Red Mesa’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Red Mesa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Teec Nos Pos, AZ, 16 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Red Mesa’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bluff, UT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 7 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 43 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Red Mesa
74% 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 Teec Nos Pos, AZ.
Living with Red Mesa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 11 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, September and October. 26 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Red Mesa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Red Mesa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Red Mesa yet.
Climates most like Red Mesa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Mesa, AZ | 22° | 93° | 7" | 7.4" |
| South Valley, NM | 22° | 94° | 9" | 6.8" |
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
| Caldwell, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 9.7" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
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 Red Mesa averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Red Mesa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Red Mesa’s place among Arizona’s.
Red Mesa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Red Mesa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bluff, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 22° | 0.5" | 2.5" | 4 | 4 | 24° – 39° |
| February | 50° | 27° | 0.4" | 1.6" | 4 | 1 | 33° – 45° |
| March | 60° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| April | 67° | 39° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 78° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| June | 89° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| July | 93° | 64° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 91° | 63° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 83° | 54° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 70° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 55° | 30° | 0.4" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 22° | 0.6" | 2.6" | 4 | 2 | 26° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 42° | 6.9" | 7.4" | 43 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Red Mesa’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 Red Mesa’s center.
- Snow: Bluff, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Teec Nos Pos, AZ, 16 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Red Mesa’s climate
What is the weather like in Red Mesa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Red Mesa in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 117 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Red Mesa get?
About 7.4 inches in a normal winter at Bluff, UT, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Red Mesa?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 64°. About 77 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Teec Nos Pos, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Red Mesa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 200 frost-free days, at Teec Nos Pos, AZ.
What growing zone is Red Mesa in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Red Mesa?
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 Red Mesa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Red Mesa.
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.