Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Oak Creek Canyon's normal year runs from 30°F December nights to 90°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 14.2°C, December lows of −1°C, July highs of 32°C.
- NOAA stationOak Creek Canyon
- Station IDUSC00026037
- Location34.96°N 111.76°W
- Elevation5,118 ft (1,560 m)
- Population (census place)321
On October 23, the normal high in Oak Creek Canyon is 71°F and the normal low 42°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Oak Creek Canyon.
- Jan 54° 30°
- Feb 57° 31°
- Mar 64° 35°
- Apr 70° 39°
- May 78° 46°
- Jun 88° 54°
- Jul 90° 61°
- Aug 88° 60°
- Sep 84° 54°
- Oct 74° 44°
- Nov 63° 36°
- Dec 53° 30°
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 Oak Creek Canyon each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 90°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 30°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54°F | 30°F | 41.9°F | – | <1 | 20 | 10 h |
| February | 57°F | 31°F | 44.2°F | – | <1 | 15 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 64°F | 35°F | 49.3°F | – | <1 | 10 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 70°F | 39°F | 54.7°F | – | <1 | 4 | 13 h |
| May | 78°F | 46°F | 61.9°F | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h |
| June | 88°F | 54°F | 71.1°F | – | 12 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 90°F | 61°F | 75.4°F | – | 16 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 88°F | 60°F | 74.2°F | – | 11 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 84°F | 54°F | 68.8°F | – | 3 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 74°F | 44°F | 58.8°F | – | <1 | 1 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 63°F | 36°F | 49.4°F | – | <1 | 8 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 53°F | 30°F | 41.4°F | – | <1 | 20 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 72°F | 43°F | 57.6°F | – | 43 | 79 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°C | −1°C | 5.5°C |
| February | 14°C | 0°C | 6.8°C |
| March | 18°C | 2°C | 9.6°C |
| April | 21°C | 4°C | 12.6°C |
| May | 25°C | 8°C | 16.6°C |
| June | 31°C | 12°C | 21.7°C |
| July | 32°C | 16°C | 24.1°C |
| August | 31°C | 16°C | 23.4°C |
| September | 29°C | 12°C | 20.4°C |
| October | 23°C | 7°C | 14.9°C |
| November | 17°C | 2°C | 9.7°C |
| December | 12°C | −1°C | 5.2°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Munds Park (7 miles away), gets 77 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00026037; 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 Oak Creek Canyon?
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 USC00026037.
When is the last frost in Oak Creek Canyon?
In Oak Creek Canyon, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 14 in half of years and after May 4 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before November 5 in half of years and before October 18 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 141 year in 10 after May 4; 9 in 10 after March 31
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- November 51 year in 10 before October 18; 9 in 10 before November 23
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 204 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 235 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 28 in half of springs and before November 18 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Oak Creek Canyon in zone 8b in ZIP code 86336.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Arizona · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00026037; 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 Oak Creek Canyon?
In a normal year in Oak Creek Canyon, 43 days a year reach 90°F (1 of them 100°F or more) and 79 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 43a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 79a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 1high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00026037.
How sunny is Oak Creek Canyon?
Over a year 87% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Oak Creek Canyon, 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 Oak Creek Canyon need?
A normal year in Oak Creek Canyon brings 3,676 heating degree days, 32% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 995 cooling degree days, 10% 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 3,747 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 718 | 0 |
| February | 584 | 0 |
| March | 487 | 0 |
| April | 312 | 1 |
| May | 133 | 39 |
| June | 13 | 198 |
| July | 0 | 324 |
| August | 1 | 284 |
| September | 21 | 136 |
| October | 207 | 13 |
| November | 468 | 0 |
| December | 733 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 3,676 | 995 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00026037. 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 Oak Creek Canyon's climate compare?
Oak Creek Canyon is warmer than 26 of the other 96 places with their own NOAA record in Arizona. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 57.6°F is warmer than 68%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Oak Creek Canyon's climate
What is the coldest month in Oak Creek Canyon?
December, with a normal high of 53°F and a normal low of 30°F. The warmest is July (90°F by day, 61°F at night).
Does it snow in Oak Creek Canyon?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Oak Creek Canyon's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Munds Park (7 miles away), records 77 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Oak Creek Canyon in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Oak Creek Canyon in zone 8b in ZIP code 86336.
How late can frost come in Oak Creek Canyon?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 14; in one year in ten it comes after May 4. Waiting until May 4 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Arizona climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Sedona, AZ4 miles from this station, 63.0°F a year
- Munds Park, AZ7 miles from this station, 47.0°F a year
- Flagstaff, AZ14 miles from this station, 46.8°F a year
- Bellemont, AZ19 miles from this station, 44.4°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made