Photo: John Diebolt · Public domainTucson reaches 100° on about 68 days a year, more than all but 109 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 100°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Tucson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tucson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tucson’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Tucson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 307 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 5 and the first by December 9. Frost and day counts come from Tucson International Airport, Tucson’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 5 miles from the city’s center point, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tucson’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. 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
August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 47 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Tucson International Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Tucson
28% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Tucson International Airport.
Living with Tucson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
307 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 5 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April and November. 363 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tucson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tucson and its neighbors
Tanque Verde has the coldest January nights next door (36°, 3° colder) and Flowing Wells the hottest July afternoons (102°, 2° 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 Tucson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson, AZ | 38° | 100° | 12" | 0.1" |
| Hillcrest, CA | 40° | 100° | 10" | 0.1" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Eagle Pass, TX | 41° | 98° | 19" | 0.0" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
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 Tucson averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 548,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Tucson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tucson’s place among Arizona’s.
Tucson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tucson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tucson International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| February | 69° | 41° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| March | 75° | 45° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| April | 83° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| May | 91° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| June | 101° | 68° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| July | 100° | 74° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 83° – 89° |
| August | 98° | 73° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 83° – 91° |
| September | 95° | 67° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| October | 86° | 56° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| November | 75° | 44° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 67° |
| December | 66° | 38° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| Year | 84° | 54° | 12.0" | 0.1" | 47 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Tucson’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 Tucson’s center.
- Snow: Tucson International Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tucson International Airport, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 110 ft lower; the city’s official station.
- 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 Tucson’s climate
What is the weather like in Tucson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 100°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 132 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tucson in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 48°.
How much snow does Tucson get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Tucson International Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Tucson?
July, with a typical high of 100° and a low of 74°. About 158 days a year reach 90° and 68 reach 100° (Tucson International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Tucson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 5 and the first fall frost by December 9, about 307 frost-free days, at Tucson International Airport.
What growing zone is Tucson in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tucson?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tucson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tucson.
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.