Verde River Sheep Bridge · Photo: Dale E. Politi · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns see hotter July days than Rye
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 31°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit April and October, with highs of 78–83°.
A year in Rye at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rye’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rye’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Rye feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 255 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 7 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from Punkin Ctr, AZ, 17 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rye’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 17 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Rye
45% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Punkin Ctr, AZ.
Living with Rye’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
255 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 7 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rye from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rye and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rye yet.
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 Rye averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Rye compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rye’s place among Arizona’s.
Rye weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rye’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 31° | 2.3" | 42° – 52° |
| February | 65° | 34° | 2.2" | 44° – 55° |
| March | 71° | 39° | 1.7" | 48° – 61° |
| April | 78° | 43° | 0.6" | 55° – 66° |
| May | 88° | 51° | 0.3" | 63° – 74° |
| June | 98° | 59° | 0.1" | 73° – 83° |
| July | 101° | 67° | 2.0" | 81° – 87° |
| August | 99° | 67° | 2.2" | 80° – 87° |
| September | 93° | 60° | 1.6" | 73° – 79° |
| October | 83° | 48° | 1.1" | 61° – 70° |
| November | 70° | 37° | 1.3" | 46° – 60° |
| December | 60° | 31° | 2.0" | 42° – 51° |
| Year | 81° | 47° | 17.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rye’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 Rye’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Punkin Ctr, AZ, 17 miles from the town’s center, 830 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Rye’s climate
What is the weather like in Rye?
A typical July afternoon reaches 101°, a January night drops to 31°. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 122 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rye in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How hot does it get in Rye?
July, with a typical high of 101° and a low of 67°. About 145 days a year reach 90° and 74 reach 100° (Punkin Ctr, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Rye?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 7 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 255 frost-free days, at Punkin Ctr, AZ.
What growing zone is Rye in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rye?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rye getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rye.
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.