Corduroy Creek Bridge · Photo: Clayton B. Fraser · Public domainWagon Wheel’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Wagon Wheel at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wagon Wheel’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wagon Wheel’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Wagon Wheel feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 162 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Show Low Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wagon Wheel’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 19 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Show Low Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wagon Wheel
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Show Low Airport.
Living with Wagon Wheel’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 9.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wagon Wheel from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wagon Wheel and its neighbors
Show Low the hottest July afternoons (86°, 1° 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 Wagon Wheel’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagon Wheel, AZ | 20° | 85° | 19" | 19" |
| Las Vegas, NM | 18° | 86° | 16" | 22" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
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 Wagon Wheel averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Wagon Wheel compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wagon Wheel’s place among Arizona’s.
Wagon Wheel weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wagon Wheel’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Show Low Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 20° | 2.0" | 4.0" | 7 | 5 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 50° | 23° | 1.7" | 3.8" | 7 | 2 | 30° – 43° |
| March | 57° | 27° | 1.5" | 2.3" | 6 | 1 | 35° – 47° |
| April | 64° | 32° | 0.6" | 1.6" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 73° | 39° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 84° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 85° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| August | 82° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 78° | 47° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 68° | 36° | 1.6" | 0.4" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 56° | 26° | 1.4" | 1.9" | 5 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 20° | 1.6" | 5.4" | 7 | 4 | 28° – 38° |
| Year | 66° | 35° | 18.8" | 19.4" | 82 | 12 |
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 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Wagon Wheel’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 Wagon Wheel’s center.
- Snow: Show Low Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Show Low Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Wagon Wheel’s climate
What is the weather like in Wagon Wheel?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wagon Wheel in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 121 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Wagon Wheel get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Show Low Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wagon Wheel?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Show Low Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Wagon Wheel?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 162 frost-free days, at Show Low Airport.
What growing zone is Wagon Wheel in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wagon Wheel?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wagon Wheel getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wagon Wheel.
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.