Photo: 0pen$0urce · CC BY-SA 4.0Vail reaches 100° on about 54 days a year, more than all but 136 U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 36° on average. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 94% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly February 25 to November 27.
A year in Vail at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vail’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vail’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Vail feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 276 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 25 and the first by November 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Green Valley, AZ, 20 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vail’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 14 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 48 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Vail 7 N, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Vail
36% 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 Green Valley, AZ.
Living with Vail’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
276 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 25 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 74 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vail from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vail and its neighbors
Tucson the hottest July afternoons (100°, 3° 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 Vail’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vail, AZ | 36° | 97° | 14" | 0.1" |
| East Hemet, CA | 38° | 97° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Fort Stockton, TX | 33° | 96° | 13" | 1.4" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Vail averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Vail compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vail’s place among Arizona’s.
Vail weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vail’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Vail 7 N, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65° | 36° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| February | 67° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| March | 73° | 42° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| April | 81° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| May | 89° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 98° | 65° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| July | 97° | 70° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| August | 95° | 70° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 80° – 87° |
| September | 92° | 64° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| October | 84° | 53° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| November | 73° | 42° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 65° |
| December | 64° | 35° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| Year | 81° | 51° | 14.3" | 0.1" | 48 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 65°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Vail’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 Vail’s center.
- Snow: Vail 7 N, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Green Valley, AZ, 20 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower; 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 Vail’s climate
What is the weather like in Vail?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vail in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 24 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Vail get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Vail 7 N, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Vail?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 70°. About 151 days a year reach 90° and 54 reach 100° (Green Valley, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Vail?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 25 and the first fall frost by November 27, about 276 frost-free days, at Green Valley, AZ.
What growing zone is Vail in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vail?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Vail getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vail.
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.