Photo: Neeta Lind · CC BY 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Tonalea: 8 inches a year
January mornings start at about 20°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in August and the lightest in June. Its July heat outdoes that of 90% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 16, with the first autumn frost due around October 28.
A year in Tonalea at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tonalea’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tonalea’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Tonalea feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 193 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from Tuba City, AZ, 20 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tonalea’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Tonalea
76% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Tuba City, AZ.
Living with Tonalea’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
193 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 24 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tonalea from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tonalea and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tonalea yet.
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 Tonalea averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 Tonalea compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tonalea’s place among Arizona’s.
Tonalea weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tonalea’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 20° | 0.8" | 27° – 37° |
| February | 50° | 24° | 0.7" | 31° – 43° |
| March | 59° | 31° | 0.7" | 39° – 50° |
| April | 67° | 36° | 0.3" | 46° – 56° |
| May | 77° | 45° | 0.4" | 54° – 65° |
| June | 88° | 53° | 0.1" | 65° – 76° |
| July | 93° | 61° | 1.0" | 72° – 80° |
| August | 90° | 59° | 1.2" | 71° – 80° |
| September | 82° | 51° | 1.0" | 62° – 70° |
| October | 69° | 39° | 0.7" | 50° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 28° | 0.5" | 34° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 19° | 0.5" | 23° – 36° |
| Year | 68° | 39° | 7.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Tonalea’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 Tonalea’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tuba City, AZ, 20 miles from the town’s center, 650 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Tonalea’s climate
What is the weather like in Tonalea?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 20°. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tonalea in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 119 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How hot does it get in Tonalea?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 61°. About 76 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Tuba City, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Tonalea?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 193 frost-free days, at Tuba City, AZ.
What growing zone is Tonalea in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tonalea?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tonalea getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tonalea.
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.