Meteor Crater, Arizona climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Meteor Crater's normal year runs from 23°F December nights to 91°F July afternoons, with 12.3 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 13.1°C, December lows of −5°C, July highs of 33°C, 312 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationMeteor Crater
- Station IDUSC00025494
- Location35.04°N 111.02°W
- Elevation5,535 ft (1,687 m)
On October 24, the normal high in Meteor Crater is 67°F and the normal low 40°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Meteor Crater.
- Jan 47° 25°
- Feb 53° 28°
- Mar 62° 34°
- Apr 68° 40°
- May 77° 46°
- Jun 88° 56°
- Jul 91° 61°
- Aug 88° 61°
- Sep 82° 55°
- Oct 70° 43°
- Nov 57° 32°
- Dec 47° 23°
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 Meteor Crater each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 91°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 23°F. The most precipitation falls in August (2.39 in), the least in June (0.29 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47°F | 25°F | 36.2°F | 1.13 | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h |
| February | 53°F | 28°F | 40.6°F | 1.02 | – | <1 | 19 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 62°F | 34°F | 47.7°F | 0.49 | – | <1 | 13 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 68°F | 40°F | 54.1°F | 0.69 | – | <1 | 9 | 13 h |
| May | 77°F | 46°F | 61.3°F | 0.49 | – | 1 | 4 | 14 h |
| June | 88°F | 56°F | 72.3°F | 0.29 | – | 16 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 91°F | 61°F | 76.0°F | 1.88 | – | 17 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 88°F | 61°F | 74.4°F | 2.39 | – | 12 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 82°F | 55°F | 68.4°F | 1.65 | – | 3 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 70°F | 43°F | 56.7°F | 0.95 | – | <1 | 3 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 57°F | 32°F | 44.2°F | 0.68 | – | <1 | 16 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 47°F | 23°F | 35.1°F | 0.64 | – | <1 | 27 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 69°F | 42°F | 55.6°F | 12.30 | – | 48 | 119 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | −4°C | 2.3°C | 29 mm |
| February | 12°C | −2°C | 4.8°C | 26 mm |
| March | 17°C | 1°C | 8.7°C | 12 mm |
| April | 20°C | 4°C | 12.3°C | 18 mm |
| May | 25°C | 8°C | 16.3°C | 12 mm |
| June | 31°C | 13°C | 22.4°C | 7 mm |
| July | 33°C | 16°C | 24.4°C | 48 mm |
| August | 31°C | 16°C | 23.6°C | 61 mm |
| September | 28°C | 13°C | 20.2°C | 42 mm |
| October | 21°C | 6°C | 13.7°C | 24 mm |
| November | 14°C | 0°C | 6.8°C | 17 mm |
| December | 8°C | −5°C | 1.7°C | 16 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 USC00025494; 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 Meteor Crater?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, 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 USC00025494.
When is the last frost at Meteor Crater?
In Meteor Crater, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 30 in half of years and after May 26 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 23 in half of years and before October 1 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
- April 301 year in 10 after May 26; 9 in 10 after April 8
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 231 year in 10 before October 1; 9 in 10 before November 7
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 174 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 199 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 16 in half of springs and before November 3 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Meteor Crater in zone 7a in ZIP code 86003, 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 USC00025494; 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 Meteor Crater?
In a normal year in Meteor Crater, 48 days a year reach 90°F (1 of them 100°F or more) and 119 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 48a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 119a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 5high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00025494.
How sunny is it at Meteor Crater?
Over a year 86% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Meteor Crater, 5.6 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (93%) and July the cloudiest (81%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 83% | 3.2 |
| February | 84% | 4.2 |
| March | 87% | 5.7 |
| April | 88% | 7.0 |
| May | 89% | 7.8 |
| June | 93% | 8.4 |
| July | 81% | 6.9 |
| August | 82% | 6.4 |
| September | 89% | 5.9 |
| October | 89% | 4.8 |
| November | 89% | 3.6 |
| December | 81% | 2.8 |
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 Meteor Crater record?
A normal year at Meteor Crater brings 4,492 heating degree days, 16% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,074 cooling degree days, 18% more than the median (908). Six months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,636 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 894 | 0 |
| February | 683 | 0 |
| March | 536 | 0 |
| April | 333 | 5 |
| May | 164 | 49 |
| June | 15 | 232 |
| July | 1 | 341 |
| August | 3 | 293 |
| September | 41 | 141 |
| October | 272 | 13 |
| November | 624 | 0 |
| December | 926 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,492 | 1,074 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00025494. 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.
Have recent years at Meteor Crater been warmer than normal?
2022 averaged 55.3°F, 0.3°F below the 1991-2020 normal of 55.6°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 55.3°F | −0.3°F | 7.41 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00025494. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Meteor Crater's climate compare?
Meteor Crater is warmer than 18 of the 97 places with their own NOAA record in Arizona, and wetter than 52. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 55.6°F is warmer than 62%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Meteor Crater is BSk: cold semi-arid steppe. 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 Meteor Crater's climate
What is the coldest month at Meteor Crater?
December, with a normal high of 47°F and a normal low of 23°F. The warmest is July (91°F by day, 61°F at night).
What is the rainiest month at Meteor Crater?
August, with 2.39 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is June with 0.29 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Meteor Crater in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Meteor Crater in zone 7a in ZIP code 86003, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Meteor Crater?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 30; in one year in ten it comes after May 26. Waiting until May 26 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Arizona climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Twin Arrows, AZ16 miles from this station, 55.3°F a year
- Winslow, AZ17 miles from this station, 56.7°F a year
- Walnut Canyon National Monument, AZ29 miles from this station, 50.6°F a year
- Happy Jack Ranger Station, AZ30 miles from this station, 45.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made