Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Sonoita trails that of 90% of U.S. towns: 19 inches a year
January nights here settle around 32°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in July and the lightest in May. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 74% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from December to February, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Sonoita at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sonoita’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sonoita’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Sonoita feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 237 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 28 and the first by November 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sonoita, AZ, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sonoita’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. 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 19 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 57 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Patagonia Paton Ctr, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sonoita
65% of the work is heating. 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 Sonoita, AZ.
Living with Sonoita’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
237 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 28 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sonoita from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sonoita and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sonoita yet.
Climates most like Sonoita’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoita, AZ | 32° | 88° | 19" | 0.7" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Templeton, CA | 37° | 87° | 18" | 0.0" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
| College Place, WA | 30° | 91° | 15" | 7.2" |
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 Sonoita averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Sonoita compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sonoita’s place among Arizona’s.
Sonoita weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sonoita’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Patagonia Paton Ctr, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 32° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| February | 61° | 33° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| March | 67° | 38° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| April | 73° | 42° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| May | 82° | 49° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| June | 91° | 59° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 64° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 73° – 79° |
| August | 86° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| September | 84° | 58° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| October | 77° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| November | 67° | 37° | 0.9" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 31° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| Year | 74° | 46° | 18.5" | 0.7" | 57 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Sonoita’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 Sonoita’s center.
- Snow: Patagonia Paton Ctr, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sonoita, AZ, 1.4 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 Sonoita’s climate
What is the weather like in Sonoita?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sonoita in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 41 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Sonoita get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Patagonia Paton Ctr, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sonoita?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 64°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Sonoita, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Sonoita?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 28 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 237 frost-free days, at Sonoita, AZ.
What growing zone is Sonoita in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sonoita?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sonoita getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sonoita.
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.