Photo: Hunter Trick (TrickHunter) · CC BY-SA 4.0Tempe reaches 100° on about 107 days a year, more than all but 59 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 106°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Tempe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tempe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tempe’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Tempe feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 298 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 13 and the first by December 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tempe Asu, AZ, 2.7 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tempe’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. 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 8 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Mesa, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Tempe
24% 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 Tempe Asu, AZ.
Living with Tempe’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
298 frost-free days in zone 10a. 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March and November. 41 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tempe from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tempe and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Tempe in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Tempe’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempe, AZ | 41° | 106° | 8" | 0.0" |
| Boulder City, NV | 41° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Garnet, CA | 43° | 105° | 5" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 Tempe averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in all but 144 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 191,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Tempe compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tempe’s place among Arizona’s.
Tempe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tempe’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mesa, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 41° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| February | 71° | 43° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| March | 78° | 48° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 85° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| May | 94° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| June | 104° | 71° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 82° – 91° |
| July | 106° | 78° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 89° – 95° |
| August | 104° | 78° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 87° – 95° |
| September | 100° | 72° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 82° – 88° |
| October | 89° | 59° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| November | 76° | 47° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| December | 67° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| Year | 87° | 58° | 7.9" | 0.0" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Tempe’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 Tempe’s center.
- Snow: Mesa, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tempe Asu, AZ, 2.7 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Tempe’s climate
What is the weather like in Tempe?
A typical July afternoon reaches 106°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 54 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tempe in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 10 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Tempe get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Mesa, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Tempe?
July, with a typical high of 106° and a low of 78°. About 179 days a year reach 90° and 107 reach 100° (Tempe Asu, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Tempe?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 13 and the first fall frost by December 5, about 298 frost-free days, at Tempe Asu, AZ.
What growing zone is Tempe in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tempe?
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 Tempe getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 144 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tempe.
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.