Bright Angel Ranger Station, Arizona climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Bright Angel Ranger Station's normal year runs from 17°F December nights to 77°F July afternoons, with 24.2 inches of precipitation and 126 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 6.3°C, December lows of −8°C, July highs of 25°C, 614 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationBright Angel Ranger Station
- Station IDUSC00021001
- Location36.21°N 112.06°W
- Elevation8,000 ft (2,438 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Bright Angel Ranger Station is 53°F and the normal low 31°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 16%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Bright Angel Ranger Station.
- Jan 36° 18°
- Feb 37° 19°
- Mar 44° 23°
- Apr 52° 28°
- May 62° 36°
- Jun 73° 43°
- Jul 77° 49°
- Aug 74° 48°
- Sep 67° 42°
- Oct 56° 33°
- Nov 45° 24°
- Dec 36° 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 at Bright Angel Ranger Station each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 77°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 17°F. The most precipitation falls in January (3.56 in), the least in June (0.37 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36°F | 18°F | 27.1°F | 3.56 | 33.0 | 7 | <1 | 31 | 10 h |
| February | 37°F | 19°F | 28.2°F | 3.48 | 26.6 | 7 | <1 | 27 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 44°F | 23°F | 33.6°F | 2.95 | 23.6 | 6 | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 52°F | 28°F | 40.2°F | 1.56 | 11.4 | 5 | <1 | 24 | 13 h |
| May | 62°F | 36°F | 48.8°F | 0.79 | 2.7 | 4 | <1 | 12 | 14 h |
| June | 73°F | 43°F | 58.2°F | 0.37 | 0.2 | 2 | <1 | 2 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 77°F | 49°F | 63.3°F | 1.78 | 0.0 | 9 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 74°F | 48°F | 61.2°F | 2.75 | 0.0 | 11 | <1 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 67°F | 42°F | 54.5°F | 1.93 | 0.0 | 7 | <1 | 2 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 56°F | 33°F | 44.3°F | 1.75 | 3.4 | 5 | <1 | 16 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 45°F | 24°F | 34.3°F | 1.40 | 10.3 | 4 | <1 | 26 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 36°F | 17°F | 26.9°F | 1.86 | 15.0 | 7 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 32°F | 43.4°F | 24.18 | 126.2 | 75 | 1 | 199 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2°C | −8°C | −2.7°C | 90 mm | 84 cm |
| February | 3°C | −7°C | −2.1°C | 88 mm | 68 cm |
| March | 7°C | −5°C | 0.9°C | 75 mm | 60 cm |
| April | 11°C | −2°C | 4.6°C | 40 mm | 29 cm |
| May | 17°C | 2°C | 9.3°C | 20 mm | 7 cm |
| June | 23°C | 6°C | 14.6°C | 9 mm | 1 cm |
| July | 25°C | 10°C | 17.4°C | 45 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 23°C | 9°C | 16.2°C | 70 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 19°C | 5°C | 12.5°C | 49 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 13°C | 1°C | 6.8°C | 44 mm | 9 cm |
| November | 7°C | −5°C | 1.3°C | 36 mm | 26 cm |
| December | 2°C | −8°C | −2.8°C | 47 mm | 38 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00021001; 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.
Which months are mildest at Bright Angel Ranger Station?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July, August and September. Of those, June has the fewest days with rain (2).
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 USC00021001.
When is the last frost at Bright Angel Ranger Station?
In Bright Angel Ranger Station, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after June 3 in half of years and after June 19 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 27 in half of years and before September 12 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
- June 31 year in 10 after June 19; 9 in 10 after May 16
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 271 year in 10 before September 12; 9 in 10 before October 10
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 113 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 139 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 19 in half of springs and before October 6 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Bright Angel Ranger Station in zone 6b in ZIP code 86052, 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 USC00021001; 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 at Bright Angel Ranger Station?
In a normal year in Bright Angel Ranger Station, 1 day a year reaches 90°F, 199 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 75 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 199a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 28high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 75a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 30a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00021001.
How sunny is it at Bright Angel Ranger Station?
Over a year 86% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Bright Angel Ranger Station, 5.4 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (93%) and December the cloudiest (78%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 81% | 3.0 |
| February | 79% | 3.9 |
| March | 84% | 5.4 |
| April | 86% | 6.8 |
| May | 88% | 7.7 |
| June | 93% | 8.4 |
| July | 84% | 7.1 |
| August | 85% | 6.6 |
| September | 90% | 5.9 |
| October | 89% | 4.6 |
| November | 86% | 3.4 |
| December | 78% | 2.6 |
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 many heating and cooling degree days does Bright Angel Ranger Station record?
A normal year at Bright Angel Ranger Station brings 7,913 heating degree days, 47% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 51 cooling degree days, 94% fewer than the median (908). Nine months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,268 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,175 | 0 |
| February | 1,032 | 0 |
| March | 972 | 0 |
| April | 744 | 0 |
| May | 502 | 0 |
| June | 214 | 8 |
| July | 84 | 30 |
| August | 130 | 12 |
| September | 316 | 1 |
| October | 642 | 0 |
| November | 921 | 0 |
| December | 1,181 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,913 | 51 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00021001. 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.
How does Bright Angel Ranger Station's climate compare?
Bright Angel Ranger Station is warmer than 0 of the 97 places with their own NOAA record in Arizona, and wetter than 86. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 43.4°F is warmer than 13%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Bright Angel Ranger Station 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 Bright Angel Ranger Station's climate
What is the coldest month at Bright Angel Ranger Station?
December, with a normal high of 36°F and a normal low of 17°F. The warmest is July (77°F by day, 49°F at night).
Does it snow at Bright Angel Ranger Station?
Yes: 126 inches in a normal year, falling on 33 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (33.0 inches).
What is the rainiest month at Bright Angel Ranger Station?
January, with 3.56 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is June with 0.37 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Bright Angel Ranger Station in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Bright Angel Ranger Station in zone 6b in ZIP code 86052, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Bright Angel Ranger Station?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after June 3; in one year in ten it comes after June 19. Waiting until June 19 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Arizona climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Phantom Ranch, AZ7 miles from this station, 67.6°F a year
- Grand Canyon Visitor Center, AZ11 miles from this station, 51.1°F a year
- Grand Canyon National Park 2, AZ12 miles from this station, 48.1°F a year
- Grand Canyon E Entrance, AZ18 miles from this station, 50.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made