Nights turn raw in Phoenix each January, colder than in 73% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 84°. Seasons differ by 67°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 64% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to June and August to October, with highs of 64–82°.
A year in Phoenix at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Phoenix’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Phoenix’s place in Illinois beside it.
What a year in Phoenix feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Park Forest, IL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Phoenix’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Park Forest, IL, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Phoenix
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Park Forest, IL.
Living with Phoenix’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Phoenix from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Phoenix and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Phoenix in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Phoenix’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, IL | 17° | 84° | 39" | 28" |
| Decatur, IN | 19° | 84° | 40" | 28" |
| Bryan, OH | 18° | 84° | 37" | 29" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| Claverack, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Phoenix averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 63% 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 Phoenix compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Phoenix’s place among Illinois’.
Phoenix weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Phoenix’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Park Forest, IL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 2.2" | 10.2" | 11 | 18 | 15° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 21° | 1.9" | 7.5" | 9 | 13 | 17° – 39° |
| March | 48° | 29° | 2.4" | 4.9" | 10 | 5 | 30° – 53° |
| April | 60° | 39° | 3.9" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| September | 76° | 55° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 49° | 33° | 2.7" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 49° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 2.1" | 4.0" | 11 | 9 | 17° – 40° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 38.8" | 28.2" | 124 | 46 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 53°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Phoenix’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 Phoenix’s center.
- Snow: Park Forest, IL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Park Forest, IL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher; 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 Phoenix’s climate
What is the weather like in Phoenix?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Phoenix in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 126 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Phoenix get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Park Forest, IL, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 46 days a year.
How hot does it get in Phoenix?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Park Forest, IL).
When is the first and last frost in Phoenix?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 179 frost-free days, at Park Forest, IL.
What growing zone is Phoenix in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Phoenix?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Phoenix getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Phoenix.
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.