Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Whiteriver

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Whiteriver-Lutheran Apache Mission-1912-1Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Whiteriver · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Whiteriver’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 89°

A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 24°.

Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns#119Mildest winters  of 138 in AZ
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns#133 driest of 138 in AZ
All AZ rankings →

A year in Whiteriver at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan52°24°
Feb55°27°
Mar62°31°
Apr69°36°
May78°43°
Jun88°52°
Jul89°59°
Aug86°58° Wettest
Sep82°51°
Oct73°40°
Nov now61°30°
Dec51°23°

What stands out about Whiteriver’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Whiteriver’s place in Arizona beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Whiteriver feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
53° / 24°
Snow is rare
Spring
70° / 36°
Frost is rare
Summer
88° / 56°
90° days are rare
Fall
72° / 40°
Frost is rare
Best months to be outsideMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Rain & snow

About 19 inches of rain a year

August is the wettest month and June the driest.

19"
Rain + melted snow a year
133rd driest of 138 in Arizona
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.4"
JFMAMJJASOND
Living here

Living with Whiteriver’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

Zone 7b.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, September and October. 9.6 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Whiteriver from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Whiteriver and its neighbors

Turkey Creek has the coldest January nights next door (22°, 2° colder) and Turkey Creek the hottest July afternoons (91°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

East Fork: January low 22°, July high 91°Hondah: January low 21°, July high 82°Rainbow City: January low 24°, July high 89°Turkey Creek: January low 22°, July high 91°Seven Mile: January low 24°, July high 89°North Fork: January low 24°, July high 83°Fort Apache: January low 24°, July high 90°Whiteriver: January low 24°, July high 89°WhiteriverRainbow CityTurkey CreekSeven MileNorth ForkFort Apache
ColderMilder21° to 24°
Turkey Creek22.0° −1.8°
Seven Mile23.5° about the same
Whiteriver23.8°
Rainbow City23.8° about the same
North Fork23.8° about the same
Fort Apache24.1° about the same

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Whiteriver averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).

+1.3°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 52% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.4°now 39°, was 37°
Spring+1.7°now 53°, was 51°
Summer+1.1°now 72°, was 71°
Fall+1.2°now 56°, was 55°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Whiteriver compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Whiteriver’s place among Arizona’s.

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns127th hottest of 138 in Arizona
Winter cold24° January low
Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns119th mildest of 138 in Arizona
Precipitation19" a year
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns133rd driest of 138 in Arizona
Month by month

Whiteriver weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Whiteriver’s center. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January52°24°1.7"31° – 44°
February55°27°1.8"35° – 47°
March62°31°1.6"39° – 51°
April69°36°0.6"47° – 57°
May78°43°0.5"55° – 65°
June88°52°0.4"65° – 74°
July89°59°3.1"71° – 77°
August86°58°3.4"69° – 77°
September82°51°1.7"62° – 69°
October73°40°1.2"53° – 61°
November61°30°1.2"39° – 54°
December51°23°1.5"32° – 42°
Year70°39°18.7"
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Whiteriver’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 Whiteriver’s center.
  • 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 Whiteriver’s climate

What is the weather like in Whiteriver?

A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 24°. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Whiteriver in winter?

December nights average 23°. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.

How hot does it get in Whiteriver?

July, with a typical high of 89°. 90° days are rare.

What growing zone is Whiteriver 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 Whiteriver?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Whiteriver getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Whiteriver.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.