Blue Ridge, Arizona climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Blue Ridge's normal year runs from 17°F January nights to 83°F July afternoons, with 21.5 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 9.3°C, January lows of −9°C, July highs of 28°C, 547 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationBlue Ridge Ranger Station
- Station IDUSC00020871
- Location34.61°N 111.19°W
- Elevation6,880 ft (2,097 m)
- Population (census place)1,037
On October 14, the normal high in Blue Ridge is 68°F and the normal low 34°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Blue Ridge.
- Jan 45° 17°
- Feb 49° 20°
- Mar 55° 25°
- Apr 62° 30°
- May 70° 38°
- Jun 80° 47°
- Jul 83° 55°
- Aug 81° 53°
- Sep 76° 46°
- Oct 67° 34°
- Nov 55° 24°
- Dec 45° 17°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Blue Ridge each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 83°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 17°F. The most precipitation falls in August (3.34 in), the least in June (0.29 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45°F | 17°F | 30.8°F | 2.30 | – | <1 | 30 | 10 h |
| February | 49°F | 20°F | 34.3°F | 2.23 | – | <1 | 27 | 11 h |
| March | 55°F | 25°F | 39.8°F | 1.88 | – | <1 | 28 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 62°F | 30°F | 45.8°F | 0.87 | – | <1 | 20 | 13 h |
| May | 70°F | 38°F | 54.0°F | 0.78 | – | <1 | 9 | 14 h |
| June | 80°F | 47°F | 63.4°F | 0.29 | – | 2 | 1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 83°F | 55°F | 68.8°F | 2.77 | – | 3 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 81°F | 53°F | 66.9°F | 3.34 | – | 1 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 76°F | 46°F | 60.6°F | 1.94 | – | <1 | 2 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 67°F | 34°F | 50.2°F | 1.44 | – | <1 | 17 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 55°F | 24°F | 39.6°F | 1.38 | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 45°F | 17°F | 30.9°F | 2.32 | – | <1 | 29 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 64°F | 34°F | 48.8°F | 21.54 | – | 6 | 189 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C | −9°C | −0.7°C | 58 mm |
| February | 9°C | −7°C | 1.3°C | 57 mm |
| March | 13°C | −4°C | 4.3°C | 48 mm |
| April | 16°C | −1°C | 7.7°C | 22 mm |
| May | 21°C | 3°C | 12.2°C | 20 mm |
| June | 27°C | 8°C | 17.4°C | 7 mm |
| July | 28°C | 13°C | 20.4°C | 70 mm |
| August | 27°C | 12°C | 19.4°C | 85 mm |
| September | 24°C | 8°C | 15.9°C | 49 mm |
| October | 19°C | 1°C | 10.1°C | 37 mm |
| November | 13°C | −4°C | 4.2°C | 35 mm |
| December | 7°C | −8°C | −0.6°C | 59 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station, and no record within 25 miles keeps one, so snow is left out here rather than estimated.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00020871; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Blue Ridge?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August, September and October.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00020871.
When is the last frost in Blue Ridge?
In Blue Ridge, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 31 in half of years and after June 12 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 2 in half of years and before September 22 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 311 year in 10 after June 12; 9 in 10 after May 13
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 21 year in 10 before September 22; 9 in 10 before October 15
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 126 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 149 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 13 in half of springs and before October 12 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Blue Ridge in zone 7a in ZIP code 86024, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Arizona · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00020871; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Blue Ridge?
In a normal year in Blue Ridge, 6 days a year reach 90°F and 189 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 6a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 189a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 8high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00020871.
How sunny is Blue Ridge?
Over a year 87% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Blue Ridge, 5.6 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (95%) and December the cloudiest (81%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 82% | 3.3 |
| February | 82% | 4.2 |
| March | 86% | 5.7 |
| April | 89% | 7.1 |
| May | 91% | 8.0 |
| June | 95% | 8.5 |
| July | 82% | 6.9 |
| August | 84% | 6.5 |
| September | 88% | 5.9 |
| October | 90% | 4.9 |
| November | 88% | 3.7 |
| December | 81% | 2.9 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Blue Ridge need?
A normal year in Blue Ridge brings 6,184 heating degree days, 15% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 291 cooling degree days, 68% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,134 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,062 | 0 |
| February | 858 | 0 |
| March | 780 | 0 |
| April | 576 | 0 |
| May | 346 | 5 |
| June | 103 | 55 |
| July | 13 | 132 |
| August | 25 | 84 |
| September | 147 | 15 |
| October | 459 | 0 |
| November | 761 | 0 |
| December | 1,055 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,184 | 291 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00020871. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Blue Ridge been warmer than normal lately?
2023 averaged 47.9°F, 0.9°F below the 1991-2020 normal of 48.8°F. 0 of the 2 complete years since 2022 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 48.2°F | −0.6°F | 26.12 |
| 2023 | 47.9°F | −0.9°F | 23.20 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00020871. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Blue Ridge's climate compare?
Blue Ridge is warmer than 6 of the other 96 places with their own NOAA record in Arizona, and wetter than 83. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 48.8°F is warmer than 35%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Blue Ridge is Dsb: continental, dry-summer, warm summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Blue Ridge's climate
What is the coldest month in Blue Ridge?
January, with a normal high of 45°F and a normal low of 17°F. The warmest is July (83°F by day, 55°F at night).
What is the rainiest month in Blue Ridge?
August, with 3.34 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is June with 0.29 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Blue Ridge in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Blue Ridge in zone 7a in ZIP code 86024, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Blue Ridge?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 31; in one year in ten it comes after June 12. Waiting until June 12 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Arizona climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Happy Jack Ranger Station, AZ16 miles from this station, 45.8°F a year
- Natural Bridge, AZ25 miles from this station, 58.6°F a year
- Payson, AZ27 miles from this station, 57.0°F a year
- Meteor Crater, AZ31 miles from this station, 55.6°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made