Bartlett Dam · Photo: Andy Pernick, a Bureau of Reclamation photographer · Public domainRio Verde reaches 100° on about 102 days a year, more than all but 67 U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 42°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 96% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. The outdoor season runs from November to March, with highs of 66–77°.
A year in Rio Verde at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rio Verde’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rio Verde’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Rio Verde feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 102 days a year reach 100°
And 167 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fountain Hills, AZ, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rio Verde’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 11 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 38 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Carefree, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Rio Verde
24% 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 Fountain Hills, AZ.
Living with Rio Verde’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. Frost comes about 6 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 102 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rio Verde from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rio Verde and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rio Verde yet.
Climates most like Rio Verde’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Verde, AZ | 42° | 105° | 11" | 0.0" |
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | 42° | 105° | 7" | 0.8" |
| Boulder City, NV | 41° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 Rio Verde averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 96% 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 Rio Verde compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rio Verde’s place among Arizona’s.
Rio Verde weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rio Verde’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Carefree, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 42° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| February | 70° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| March | 77° | 48° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 69° |
| April | 84° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| May | 93° | 61° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| June | 103° | 69° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| July | 105° | 77° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 88° – 94° |
| August | 104° | 77° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 87° – 95° |
| September | 99° | 70° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 80° – 87° |
| October | 88° | 59° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| November | 76° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| December | 66° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| Year | 86° | 57° | 11.3" | 0.0" | 38 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 69°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Rio Verde’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 Rio Verde’s center.
- Snow: Carefree, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fountain Hills, AZ, 9 miles from the town’s center, 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 Rio Verde’s climate
What is the weather like in Rio Verde?
A typical July afternoon reaches 105°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 70 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rio Verde in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Rio Verde get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Carefree, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Rio Verde?
July, with a typical high of 105° and a low of 77°. About 167 days a year reach 90° and 102 reach 100° (Fountain Hills, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Rio Verde?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 63% of winters at Fountain Hills, AZ, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Rio Verde in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rio Verde?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rio Verde getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rio Verde.
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.