Summer arrives softly in Willow Canyon, cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 30°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 87% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 1 to November 19.
A year in Willow Canyon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Willow Canyon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Willow Canyon’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Willow Canyon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 229 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Lemmon Willow Canyon, AZ, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Willow Canyon’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 25 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and May the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Willow Canyon
85% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Mt Lemmon Willow Canyon, AZ.
Living with Willow Canyon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
229 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 1 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Willow Canyon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Willow Canyon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Willow Canyon yet.
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 Willow Canyon averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Willow Canyon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Willow Canyon’s place among Arizona’s.
Willow Canyon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Willow Canyon’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 30° | 2.6" | 34° – 44° |
| February | 50° | 31° | 2.8" | 34° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 33° | 1.9" | 38° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 0.7" | 43° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 45° | 0.5" | 52° – 62° |
| June | 80° | 55° | 0.5" | 62° – 71° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 4.2" | 65° – 71° |
| August | 77° | 56° | 3.8" | 64° – 72° |
| September | 74° | 53° | 2.7" | 59° – 66° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 1.1" | 52° – 59° |
| November | 56° | 37° | 1.8" | 39° – 54° |
| December | 48° | 30° | 2.5" | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 64° | 42° | 25.1" |
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°.
Where Willow Canyon’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 Willow Canyon’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Lemmon Willow Canyon, AZ, 0.2 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 Willow Canyon’s climate
What is the weather like in Willow Canyon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 30°. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Willow Canyon in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 53 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How hot does it get in Willow Canyon?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Mt Lemmon Willow Canyon, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Willow Canyon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 19, about 229 frost-free days, at Mt Lemmon Willow Canyon, AZ.
What growing zone is Willow Canyon in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Willow Canyon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Willow Canyon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Willow Canyon.
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.