Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Mesa: 4 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 27° on average. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 94% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 29 to October 15.
A year in Mesa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mesa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mesa’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Mesa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from Bishop Airport, 10 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mesa’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 4 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Mesa
77% 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 Bishop Airport.
Living with Mesa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and October. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mesa from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mesa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mesa 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 Mesa averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Mesa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mesa’s place among California’s.
Mesa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mesa’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 27° | 0.8" | 32° – 47° |
| February | 55° | 29° | 0.8" | 35° – 51° |
| March | 62° | 34° | 0.4" | 40° – 55° |
| April | 69° | 38° | 0.2" | 48° – 58° |
| May | 77° | 46° | 0.2" | 53° – 68° |
| June | 88° | 54° | 0.2" | 64° – 76° |
| July | 95° | 61° | 0.2" | 74° – 81° |
| August | 93° | 59° | 0.1" | 72° – 80° |
| September | 86° | 52° | 0.2" | 64° – 72° |
| October | 74° | 41° | 0.3" | 53° – 62° |
| November | 61° | 32° | 0.4" | 37° – 53° |
| December | 51° | 26° | 0.5" | 35° – 44° |
| Year | 72° | 42° | 4.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Mesa’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 Mesa’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bishop Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Mesa’s climate
What is the weather like in Mesa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 27°. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mesa in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How hot does it get in Mesa?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 61°. About 104 days a year reach 90° and 29 reach 100° (Bishop Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Mesa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 166 frost-free days, at Bishop Airport.
What growing zone is Mesa in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mesa?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mesa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mesa.
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.