Prescott, Arizona climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Prescott's normal year runs from 26°F December nights to 90°F July afternoons, with 12.8 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 13.7°C, December lows of −4°C, July highs of 32°C, 326 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationPrescott Love Field
- Station IDUSW00023184
- Location34.65°N 112.42°W
- Elevation5,042 ft (1,537 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population48,224
On October 23, the normal high in Prescott is 71°F and the normal low 40°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 11%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Prescott.
- Jan 53° 26°
- Feb 56° 29°
- Mar 62° 34°
- Apr 69° 39°
- May 77° 47°
- Jun 88° 56°
- Jul 90° 63°
- Aug 88° 61°
- Sep 83° 54°
- Oct 73° 42°
- Nov 62° 32°
- Dec 52° 26°
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 Prescott each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 90°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 26°F. The most precipitation falls in August (2.46 in), the least in June (0.35 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53°F | 26°F | 39.7°F | 1.21 | 5 | <1 | 27 | 10 h |
| February | 56°F | 29°F | 42.3°F | 1.28 | 6 | <1 | 21 | 11 h |
| March | 62°F | 34°F | 47.8°F | 0.96 | 5 | <1 | 14 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 69°F | 39°F | 53.5°F | 0.47 | 3 | <1 | 5 | 13 h |
| May | 77°F | 47°F | 62.0°F | 0.47 | 3 | 2 | <1 | 14 h |
| June | 88°F | 56°F | 71.7°F | 0.35 | 2 | 13 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 90°F | 63°F | 76.5°F | 1.87 | 9 | 18 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 88°F | 61°F | 74.8°F | 2.46 | 9 | 13 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 83°F | 54°F | 68.7°F | 1.27 | 6 | 4 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 73°F | 42°F | 57.8°F | 0.83 | 4 | <1 | 3 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 62°F | 32°F | 47.1°F | 0.69 | 4 | <1 | 17 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 52°F | 26°F | 38.9°F | 0.99 | 5 | <1 | 26 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 71°F | 42°F | 56.7°F | 12.85 | 61 | 50 | 113 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°C | −3°C | 4.3°C | 31 mm |
| February | 13°C | −2°C | 5.7°C | 33 mm |
| March | 17°C | 1°C | 8.8°C | 24 mm |
| April | 20°C | 4°C | 11.9°C | 12 mm |
| May | 25°C | 8°C | 16.7°C | 12 mm |
| June | 31°C | 13°C | 22.1°C | 9 mm |
| July | 32°C | 17°C | 24.7°C | 47 mm |
| August | 31°C | 16°C | 23.8°C | 62 mm |
| September | 29°C | 12°C | 20.4°C | 32 mm |
| October | 23°C | 6°C | 14.3°C | 21 mm |
| November | 17°C | 0°C | 8.4°C | 18 mm |
| December | 11°C | −4°C | 3.8°C | 25 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. Prescott's own co-op station Prescott station does: 10 inches of snow in a normal year (see the other stations below).
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023184; 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 Prescott?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, September and October. Of those, May has the fewest days with rain (3).
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 USW00023184.
When is the last frost in Prescott?
In Prescott, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 20 in half of years and after May 7 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 27 in half of years and before October 13 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 201 year in 10 after May 7; 9 in 10 after April 4
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 271 year in 10 before October 13; 9 in 10 before November 10
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 188 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 217 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 1 in half of springs and before November 8 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Prescott in zone 7b in ZIP code 86301. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Prescott's NOAA station is in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches 10°F (29 complete years); the map interpolates between stations and terrain, so the station and the ZIP area can differ by half a zone.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Arizona · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00023184; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. 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 Prescott?
In a normal year in Prescott, 50 days a year reach 90°F (2 of them 100°F or more), 113 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 61 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 50a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 113a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 1high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 61a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1948) is 105°F, on June 20, 2016; the lowest is −9°F, on December 23, 1990.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1965, with 22.12 in; the snowiest season is 1948–49, with 46.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00023184; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00023184. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Prescott, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 46°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 51°F; the driest air comes in December (20°F). April is the windiest month (8.9 mph on average), and May has the most clear or nearly clear hours (84%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21°F | 49% | 26% | 6.4 mph | 72% | 12% |
| February | 22°F | 46% | 26% | 7.7 mph | 67% | 14% |
| March | 23°F | 37% | 21% | 8.5 mph | 77% | 8% |
| April | 25°F | 29% | 17% | 8.9 mph | 80% | 4% |
| May | 29°F | 25% | 14% | 8.6 mph | 84% | 3% |
| June | 37°F | 25% | 16% | 8.4 mph | 83% | 2% |
| July | 51°F | 44% | 29% | 6.6 mph | 58% | 6% |
| August | 50°F | 47% | 30% | 6.3 mph | 64% | 6% |
| September | 36°F | 38% | 20% | 6.8 mph | 84% | 3% |
| October | 27°F | 41% | 22% | 6.5 mph | 81% | 5% |
| November | 20°F | 46% | 25% | 6.1 mph | 80% | 8% |
| December | 20°F | 53% | 31% | 6.1 mph | 73% | 14% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00023184. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Prescott?
Over a year 89% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Prescott, 5.7 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (95%) and December the cloudiest (82%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 84% | 3.3 |
| February | 83% | 4.2 |
| March | 87% | 5.7 |
| April | 90% | 7.1 |
| May | 92% | 8.1 |
| June | 95% | 8.6 |
| July | 86% | 7.2 |
| August | 87% | 6.7 |
| September | 90% | 6.0 |
| October | 91% | 4.9 |
| November | 89% | 3.7 |
| December | 82% | 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 Prescott need?
A normal year in Prescott brings 4,056 heating degree days, 25% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,068 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 3,694 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 783 | 0 |
| February | 637 | 0 |
| March | 533 | 0 |
| April | 345 | 1 |
| May | 138 | 45 |
| June | 14 | 216 |
| July | 0 | 357 |
| August | 1 | 303 |
| September | 25 | 138 |
| October | 234 | 9 |
| November | 537 | 0 |
| December | 811 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,056 | 1,068 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023184. 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 Prescott been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 58.5°F, 1.8°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 56.7°F. 3 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56.9°F | +0.2°F | 15.31 |
| 2022 | 56.2°F | −0.5°F | 12.55 |
| 2023 | 56.4°F | −0.3°F | 11.40 |
| 2024 | 58.4°F | +1.7°F | 8.58 |
| 2025 | 58.5°F | +1.8°F | 14.44 |
Over 72 complete years from 1950 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 4.2°F per century (+0.23°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00023184; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Prescott's climate compare?
Prescott is warmer than 20 of the other 96 places with their own NOAA record in Arizona, and wetter than 56. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 56.7°F is warmer than 66%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Prescott 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.
Which places near Prescott share this climate record?
3 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Prescott Valley, AZalso near: Chino Valley (13 mi, 57.0°F a year); Jerome (16 mi, 60.1°F a year)51,440 people · 7 mi SE
- Dewey-Humboldt, AZ4,589 people · 13 mi SE
- Wilhoit, AZ1,027 people · 20 mi SW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Prescott's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Prescott. This page uses Prescott Love Field; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From the center | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott station USC00026796 | 2 mi SE | 5,205 ft | 55.4°F | 24°F | 90°F | 16.5 | 10 | April 30 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Prescott's climate
What is the coldest month in Prescott?
December, with a normal high of 52°F and a normal low of 26°F. The warmest is July (90°F by day, 63°F at night).
Does it snow in Prescott?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Prescott's NOAA station; Prescott's own co-op station Prescott station records 10 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Prescott?
August, with 2.46 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is June with 0.35 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Prescott in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Prescott in zone 7b in ZIP code 86301. By the same method at Prescott's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches 10°F (29 years, 1991-2020): zone 8a.
How late can frost come in Prescott?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 20; in one year in ten it comes after May 7. Waiting until May 7 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Prescott in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Arizona climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Chino Valley, AZ7 miles from this station, 57.0°F a year
- Jerome, AZ19 miles from this station, 60.1°F a year
- Cottonwood, AZ24 miles from this station, 63.5°F a year
- Cordes, AZ28 miles from this station, 62.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made