Photo: Public domain · Public domainWilliams’ winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Williams at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Williams’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Williams’ place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Williams feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Williams, AZ, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Williams’ center in zone 7a: 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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Williams, AZ, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Williams
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Williams, AZ.
Living with Williams’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 22 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Williams from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Williams and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Williams yet.
Climates most like Williams’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williams, AZ | 22° | 82° | 22" | 65" |
| Columbia Falls, MT | 18° | 82° | 20" | 54" |
| Moscow, ID | 25° | 84° | 25" | 51" |
| Big Bear City, CA | 27° | 81° | 18" | 59" |
| Liberty Lake, WA | 25° | 84° | 22" | 45" |
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 Williams averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Williams compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Williams’ place among Arizona’s.
Williams weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Williams’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Williams, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 22° | 2.4" | 16.8" | 7 | 28° – 40° |
| February | 47° | 23° | 2.7" | 12.4" | 6 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 53° | 27° | 2.2" | 11.1" | 6 | 32° – 46° |
| April | 59° | 31° | 1.0" | 5.7" | 4 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 4 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 79° | 46° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 82° | 53° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 65° – 71° |
| August | 79° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 74° | 46° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 64° | 36° | 1.5" | 0.7" | 4 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 53° | 28° | 1.4" | 4.8" | 4 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 21° | 2.1" | 13.5" | 6 | 28° – 38° |
| Year | 63° | 35° | 21.9" | 65.1" | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Williams’ 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 Williams’ center.
- Snow: Williams, AZ (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Williams, AZ, 0.6 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 Williams’ climate
What is the weather like in Williams?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Williams in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 150 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Williams get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Williams, AZ, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Williams?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 53°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Williams, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Williams?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 135 frost-free days, at Williams, AZ.
What growing zone is Williams in?
Zone 7a 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 Williams?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Williams getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Williams.
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.