Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Mesa: 9 inches a year
Nights in January average 26°. Its July heat outdoes that of 72% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. For walks and days out, May, June and September bring highs of 73–80°.
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 Washington 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 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Connell 1 W, WA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mesa’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hatton 9 Se, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mesa
90% 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 Connell 1 W, WA.
Living with Mesa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mesa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. 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.
Climates most like Mesa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa, WA | 26° | 89° | 9" | 14" |
| Madras, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
| Carson City, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 14" |
| Williamson, AZ | 26° | 91° | 13" | 10" |
| Burley, ID | 21° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
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 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
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 Mesa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mesa’s place among Washington’s.
Mesa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mesa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hatton 9 Se, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 26° | 1.1" | 4.0" | 11 | 7 | 20° – 39° |
| February | 46° | 29° | 0.8" | 2.5" | 8 | 3 | 24° – 43° |
| March | 56° | 33° | 0.8" | 0.7" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 49° |
| April | 64° | 38° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 46° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| June | 80° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 56° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 49° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 64° | 39° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 1.0" | 1.4" | 10 | 1 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 38° | 26° | 1.2" | 4.8" | 12 | 6 | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 64° | 40° | 8.6" | 13.5" | 81 | 19 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 39°. September 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.
- Snow: Hatton 9 Se, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Connell 1 W, WA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Mesa’s climate
What is the weather like in Mesa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mesa in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 115 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Mesa get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Hatton 9 Se, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 19 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mesa?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 57°. About 35 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Connell 1 W, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Mesa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 165 frost-free days, at Connell 1 W, WA.
What growing zone is Mesa in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
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, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mesa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° 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 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.