Photo: sm85631 · CC BY-SA 4.0San Manuel reaches 100° on about 32 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in San Manuel at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about San Manuel’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with San Manuel’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in San Manuel feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 306 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 4 and the first by December 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at San Manuel, AZ, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts San Manuel’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 14 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 54 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at San Manuel, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in San Manuel
43% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at San Manuel, AZ.
Living with San Manuel’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
306 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 4 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 28 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in San Manuel from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →San Manuel and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around San Manuel yet.
Climates most like San Manuel’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Manuel, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.7" |
| Fort Stockton, TX | 33° | 96° | 13" | 1.4" |
| Yucca Valley, CA | 37° | 96° | 10" | 1.7" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 San Manuel averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 San Manuel compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with San Manuel’s place among Arizona’s.
San Manuel weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at San Manuel’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from San Manuel, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 36° | 1.3" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| February | 64° | 39° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| March | 70° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| April | 78° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| May | 87° | 57° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| June | 97° | 67° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 96° | 71° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| August | 95° | 70° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| September | 91° | 66° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| October | 82° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| November | 70° | 43° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 64° |
| December | 60° | 36° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 79° | 53° | 14.0" | 0.7" | 54 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where San Manuel’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 San Manuel’s center.
- Snow: San Manuel, AZ (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: San Manuel, AZ, 0.9 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 San Manuel’s climate
What is the weather like in San Manuel?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in San Manuel in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 14 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does San Manuel get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at San Manuel, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in San Manuel?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 71°. About 116 days a year reach 90° and 32 reach 100° (San Manuel, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in San Manuel?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 4 and the first fall frost by December 8, about 306 frost-free days, at San Manuel, AZ.
What growing zone is San Manuel in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit San Manuel?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is San Manuel getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in San Manuel.
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.