Antelope Hill Highway Bridge · Photo: Zandermw · CC BY-SA 4.0Tacna reaches 100° on about 126 days a year, more than all but 5 U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 40°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on almost every U.S. town. Warming shows here too: 2.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by August. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from January to March and November, with highs of 70–81°.
A year in Tacna at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tacna’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tacna’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Tacna feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 288 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 13 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tacna 3 Ne, AZ, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tacna’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 4 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 17 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Tacna 3 Ne, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Tacna
22% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Tacna 3 Ne, AZ.
Living with Tacna’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
288 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 13 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March and November. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tacna from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tacna and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tacna yet.
Climates most like Tacna’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacna, AZ | 40° | 108° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Whitney, NV | 38° | 107° | 4" | 0.2" |
| Thousand Palms, CA | 45° | 107° | 3" | 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 Tacna averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in August (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Tacna compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tacna’s place among Arizona’s.
Tacna weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tacna’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tacna 3 Ne, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 70° | 40° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| February | 74° | 44° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| March | 81° | 49° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| April | 87° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| May | 95° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| June | 104° | 70° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 82° – 91° |
| July | 108° | 79° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 88° – 96° |
| August | 107° | 80° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 90° – 97° |
| September | 103° | 73° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 85° – 90° |
| October | 91° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| November | 78° | 47° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| December | 68° | 39° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| Year | 89° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 68°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Tacna’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 Tacna’s center.
- Snow: Tacna 3 Ne, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tacna 3 Ne, AZ, 2.9 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 Tacna’s climate
What is the weather like in Tacna?
A typical July afternoon reaches 108°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 14 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tacna in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 22 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Tacna get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Tacna 3 Ne, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Tacna?
July, with a typical high of 108° and a low of 79°. About 188 days a year reach 90° and 126 reach 100° (Tacna 3 Ne, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Tacna?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 13 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 288 frost-free days, at Tacna 3 Ne, AZ.
What growing zone is Tacna in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tacna?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tacna getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tacna.
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.