Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Phoenix than on 90% of U.S. towns: 19 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 32°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.5° higher. Garden planting can start around May 6; autumn frost returns near October 8.
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 Oregon 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 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ashland, OR, 7 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Phoenix’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buncom 1 Nne, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Phoenix
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Ashland, OR.
Living with Phoenix’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and June. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Phoenix from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Phoenix and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Phoenix yet.
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, OR | 32° | 92° | 19" | 3.6" |
| Slaton, TX | 29° | 93° | 20" | 5.0" |
| College Place, WA | 30° | 91° | 15" | 7.2" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| North Hobbs, NM | 27° | 94° | 15" | 1.8" |
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 Phoenix averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Oregon’s.
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 Buncom 1 Nne, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 32° | 2.7" | 1.2" | 13 | 1 | 37° – 46° |
| February | 56° | 32° | 2.1" | 0.8" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 48° |
| March | 61° | 35° | 2.0" | 0.6" | 14 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| April | 66° | 38° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 75° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 82° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| July | 92° | 54° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 92° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 85° | 47° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 71° | 39° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 56° | 35° | 2.5" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 48° | 31° | 3.6" | 0.7" | 15 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| Year | 70° | 41° | 19.2" | 3.6" | 107 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 65° to 77°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
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: Buncom 1 Nne, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ashland, OR, 7 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 92°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Phoenix in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 115 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Phoenix get?
About 3.6 inches in a normal winter at Buncom 1 Nne, OR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Phoenix?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 54°. About 38 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Ashland, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Phoenix?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 154 frost-free days, at Ashland, OR.
What growing zone is Phoenix in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
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 and June. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Phoenix getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% 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.