Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0Why reaches 100° on about 93 days a year, more than all but 78 U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 40°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 98% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Garden chairs stay out from January to April and November, the months with highs of 67–84°.
A year in Why at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Why’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Why’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Why feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 93 days a year reach 100°
And 168 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ajo, AZ, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Why’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 9 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 23 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Ajo, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Why
20% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ajo, AZ.
Living with Why’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. Frost comes about 8 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 93 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April and November. 4.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Why from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Why and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Why yet.
Climates most like Why’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why, AZ | 40° | 103° | 9" | 0.1" |
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | 42° | 105° | 7" | 0.8" |
| Enterprise, NV | 37° | 103° | 5" | 0.2" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Eagle Pass, TX | 41° | 98° | 19" | 0.0" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Why averaged 2.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in all but 73 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 Why compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Why’s place among Arizona’s.
Why weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Why’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ajo, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 40° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| February | 70° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| March | 77° | 47° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 84° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| May | 92° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| June | 101° | 69° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| July | 103° | 75° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 85° – 92° |
| August | 102° | 74° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 85° – 94° |
| September | 98° | 69° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 80° – 87° |
| October | 88° | 57° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| November | 76° | 47° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 53° – 68° |
| December | 66° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| Year | 85° | 56° | 8.5" | 0.1" | 23 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Why’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 Why’s center.
- Snow: Ajo, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ajo, AZ, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Why’s climate
What is the weather like in Why?
A typical July afternoon reaches 103°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 93 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Why in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 2 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Why get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Ajo, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Why?
July, with a typical high of 103° and a low of 75°. About 168 days a year reach 90° and 93 reach 100° (Ajo, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Why?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 81% of winters at Ajo, AZ, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Why 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 Why?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Why getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 73 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Why.
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.