Painted Desert National Park, AZ Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Annual temperature and rainfall from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →; comfort score computed by PlainClimate
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Painted Desert National Park's primary NOAA station, PAINTED DESERT NP.
The climate verdict for Painted Desert National Park
Dryness leads the climate profile for Painted Desert National Park, Arizona, with 9.9 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 54°F. At 49/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 18% of scores.
- 54°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 49/100
- comfort score, above 18% of station-mapped location scores
- 9.9"
- annual precipitation · 2" snow
- 172 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Painted Desert National Park: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00026190 · Painted Desert National Park, AZ 54°F mean · 9.9" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 54°F
- RANK-MID #3,979
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Kim
- PRCP-ARID 9.9"
- SWING-MID 42°F
- COMF-LOW 49/100
- LOAD-HEAT 4,817 HDD
- STN-1 USC00026190
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Kim, CO (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every AZ station list.
- Painted Desert… (this station) 54°F
- Cold Staunton Wtp, VA 54°F
- Hot Tazewell, TN 54°F
- Near Kim, CO 54°F
- Near Sperryville, VA 54°F
Climate Living Index · Painted Desert National Park
Painted Desert National Park: 39/100 · grade F
Painted Desert National Park publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Painted Desert National Park, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 49/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall burden | 1.6 inches/year | 79/100 · B |
| Annual temperature balance | 54.2°F · 13.3° from 67.5°F | 57/100 · C |
| Frost-free season | 172 days/year | 43/100 · D |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 190 calendar days | 19/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 9.9 in · 25.1 from 35 in | 12/100 · F |
Painted Desert National Park · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Painted Desert National Park's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 75.5°F
- Coldest month
- 34.0°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Painted Desert National Park sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Painted Desert National Park's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 58th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 94%
- Painted Desert National Park's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 42nd percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Painted Desert National Park compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Painted Desert National Park's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 18th percentile score exceeds 18% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). This entry sits in this band.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48°F (9°C) | 22°F (-5°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 0.9" | 0.7" | 27.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 53°F (11°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 0.7" | 0.1" | 22.7 | 0.0 |
| March | 61°F (16°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 0.7" | 0.2" | 17.5 | 0.0 |
| April | 68°F (20°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 0.4" | 0.2" | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| May | 78°F (25°C) | 44°F (6°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1.4 | 2.2 |
| June | 89°F (31°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 18.1 |
| July | 92°F (33°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 1.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 23.3 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 1.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 17.1 |
| September | 82°F (28°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 1.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 4.2 |
| October | 71°F (21°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3.7 | 0.1 |
| November | 58°F (15°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 0.6" | 0.3" | 18.4 | 0.0 |
| December | 47°F (8°C) | 22°F (-6°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 0.8" | 0.1" | 28.0 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Painted Desert National Park works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 92°F by July 6 and hold at or above 90°F on 43 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 147 dates, bottoming at 21°F around December 17.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 19 through July 31, covering 43 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs April 23 to October 17.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 30, then returns to freezing around November 5, covering 147 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is August 1, when 30% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is June 7 at 8%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 58 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 12 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 36°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Painted Desert National Park.
Where Painted Desert National Park Stands Nationally
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 10 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Daily temperature swings run wider than most of the country, peaking near 36°F between the normal high and low.
Painted Desert National Park earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 0.7"
4.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
4.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
4.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
3.1 days with precipitation
3.3 days with precipitation
2.1 days with precipitation
8.0 days with precipitation
8.6 days with precipitation
5.6 days with precipitation
4.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
4.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
5.0 days with precipitation
Painted Desert National Park spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 34% of the annual total and December through February 24%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Painted Desert National Park has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 41.5°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: August averages 1.7" and June 0.3". The three wettest months together take 42% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
Painted Desert National Park is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 58 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 16% of the calendar, and they carry 9.9" between them. At roughly 0.17 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is August at about 9 wet days; the driest is June at about 2.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Snow reaches Painted Desert National Park, but rarely amounts to much
The normals record 1.6 inches of snow a year here, most likely in January. That is a real but marginal amount: enough that snow is part of the local record, not enough to define the winter.
A figure in this range usually reflects a handful of events that melt quickly rather than a season of accumulation; about 2 days a year record any measurable snow at all.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. An average across thirty years can smooth away a single heavy winter, so a small annual figure does not mean a significant snowfall is impossible.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 20
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 1
50% probability date
Growing Season
172 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
4,817
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
899
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside AZ closest to Painted Desert National Park on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (54°F here).
- Atchison, KS 54°F · 0.0°F off
- Boston, VA 54°F · 0.0°F off
- Glennville, CA 54°F · 0.0°F off
- Kim, CO 54°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (9.9" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Buena Vista, CO 9.9" · 0.0" off
- Chino, CA 10.0" · 0.0" off
- Truth OR Consequences, NM 10.0" · 0.0" off
- Cubero, NM 10.0" · 0.1" off
Scarce-water calendar
Where Painted Desert National Park's limited precipitation lands
heating led · dry · mid swing
Painted Desert National Park's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 4,817 annual heating degree days against 899 for cooling. Its 41.5°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Painted Desert National Park's frost-free season lasts about 172 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
July and December mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Painted Desert National Park's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 41.5°F. The annual average is 54°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Painted Desert National Park's cold-season load does not imply a wet climate. Annual precipitation is 9.9 inches, which places the station in PlainClimate's dry range. Annual snowfall totals 1.6 inches. The snowfall and rainfall fields should be read separately rather than inferred from temperature.
Painted Desert National Park wettest normal
August
August concentrates the scarce annual total (9.9 inches).
Painted Desert National Park driest normal
June
June is typically driest; arid stations are defined by when water is absent, not by a four-season grid.
Questions about Painted Desert National Park's climate
How dry is Painted Desert National Park? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Painted Desert National Park get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Painted Desert National Park? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Painted Desert National Park's primary station: PAINTED DESERT NP (USC00026190). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Painted Desert National Park; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Painted Desert National Park comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.