Whetstone is drier than 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches of precipitation a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 33°. Winter and summer sit 64° apart. Its July heat outdoes that of 91% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, April and October bring highs of 78–81°.
A year in Whetstone at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Whetstone’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Whetstone’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Whetstone feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 216 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sierra Vista, AZ, 13 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Whetstone’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 51 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Sierra Vista, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Whetstone
65% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Sierra Vista, AZ.
Living with Whetstone’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
216 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Nov 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 54 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Whetstone from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Whetstone and its neighbors
Huachuca City has the coldest January nights next door (31°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Whetstone’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whetstone, AZ | 33° | 93° | 14" | 0.4" |
| Andrews, TX | 30° | 95° | 15" | 1.7" |
| Hobbs, NM | 28° | 94° | 14" | 1.8" |
| Acton, CA | 37° | 93° | 11" | 0.0" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
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 Whetstone averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Whetstone compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Whetstone’s place among Arizona’s.
Whetstone weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Whetstone’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sierra Vista, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| February | 65° | 35° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| March | 71° | 39° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| April | 78° | 44° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 86° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 95° | 61° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 93° | 66° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 65° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 89° | 59° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| October | 81° | 49° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| November | 70° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| December | 61° | 32° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| Year | 79° | 48° | 13.8" | 0.4" | 51 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 62°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Whetstone’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 Whetstone’s center.
- Snow: Sierra Vista, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sierra Vista, AZ, 13 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft higher; 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 Whetstone’s climate
What is the weather like in Whetstone?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Whetstone in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 45 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Whetstone get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Sierra Vista, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Whetstone?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 66°. About 87 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Sierra Vista, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Whetstone?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 216 frost-free days, at Sierra Vista, AZ.
What growing zone is Whetstone in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Whetstone?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Whetstone getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Whetstone.
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.