Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Scottsdale reaches 100° on about 45 days a year, more than all but 172 U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 44°. Only 59° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 96% of U.S. towns. From November to April, highs of 64–81° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Scottsdale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Scottsdale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Scottsdale’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Scottsdale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 45 days a year reach 100°
And 132 days reach 90°. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pinnacle Peak, AZ, 3.0 miles from the city’s center point, 350 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Scottsdale Muni Airport, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Scottsdale’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. 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 12 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 32 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Fountain Hills, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Scottsdale
21% 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 Scottsdale Muni Airport.
Living with Scottsdale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 7 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 45 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, April, November and December. 442 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Scottsdale from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Scottsdale and its neighbors
Tempe has the coldest January nights next door (41°, 4° colder) and Tempe the hottest July afternoons (106°, 3° 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 Scottsdale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale, AZ | 44° | 103° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | 42° | 105° | 7" | 0.8" |
| Henderson, NV | 40° | 105° | 5" | 0.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
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 Scottsdale averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 97% 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. In a city of 243,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Scottsdale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Scottsdale’s place among Arizona’s.
Scottsdale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Scottsdale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fountain Hills, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65° | 44° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| February | 68° | 46° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| March | 74° | 50° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 69° |
| April | 81° | 56° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| May | 91° | 63° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| June | 100° | 72° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 81° – 90° |
| July | 103° | 79° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 87° – 94° |
| August | 102° | 78° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 86° – 94° |
| September | 97° | 74° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 81° – 88° |
| October | 86° | 62° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| November | 74° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| December | 64° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| Year | 84° | 60° | 12.2" | 0.0" | 32 | 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 Scottsdale’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 Scottsdale’s center.
- Snow: Fountain Hills, AZ.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Scottsdale Muni Airport, 5 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Pinnacle Peak, AZ, 3.0 miles from the city’s center point, 350 ft higher; 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 Scottsdale’s climate
What is the weather like in Scottsdale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 103°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 95 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Scottsdale in winter?
December nights average 44°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Scottsdale get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Fountain Hills, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Scottsdale?
July, with a typical high of 103° and a low of 79°. About 132 days a year reach 90° and 45 reach 100° (Scottsdale Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Scottsdale?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 70% of winters at Scottsdale Muni Airport, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Scottsdale in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Scottsdale?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Scottsdale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Scottsdale.
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.