Prescott, AZ Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Prescott's primary NOAA station, PRESCOTT.
The climate verdict for Prescott
Dryness leads the climate profile for Prescott, Arizona, with 16.5 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 55°F. Its climate comfort score of 64/100 (good) lands mid-pack nationally, exceeding 49% of station-mapped location scores.
- 55°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 64/100
- comfort score, above 49% of station-mapped location scores
- 16.5"
- annual precipitation · 10" snow
- 173 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Prescott: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00026796 · Prescott, AZ 55°F mean · 16.5" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-MID · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 55°F
- RANK-UPPER #4,254
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Erwin
- PRCP-DRY 16.5"
- SWING-MID 38°F
- COMF-MID 64/100
- LOAD-HEAT 4,388 HDD
- STN-1 USC00026796
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Erwin, TN (+ 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.
- Hot Norris, TN 56°F
- Prescott (this station) 55°F
- Cold Crossville Mem, TN 55°F
- Near Erwin, TN 55°F
- Near Fall Creek Fall…, TN 55°F
Climate Living Index · Prescott
Prescott: 52/100 · grade D
Prescott publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Prescott, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 64/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall burden | 10.2 inches/year | 63/100 · C |
| Annual temperature balance | 55.4°F · 12.1° from 67.5°F | 61/100 · C |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 144 calendar days | 51/100 · D |
| Frost-free season | 173 days/year | 44/100 · D |
| Precipitation balance | 16.5 in · 18.5 from 35 in | 34/100 · F |
Prescott · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Prescott is a temperate Köppen climate: Csa
Coldest-month mean 37.7°F and warmest-month mean 75.3°F place this station in temperate, dry-summer, hot summer climates (Csa). Class Csa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: temperate, specifically temperate, dry-summer, hot summer.
- Köppen code
- Csa
- Group
- Temperate
- Warmest month
- 75.3°F
- Coldest month
- 37.7°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 Prescott sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Prescott's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 62nd percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 79%
- Prescott's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Narrower than 74%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Prescott is compact versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Prescott compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Prescott's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
64 49th percentile score exceeds 49% 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%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). This entry sits in this band.
- 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
Prescott's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 102 complete annual observations from 1870 to 2025, PRESCOTT warmed at a fitted rate of 0.04°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Prescott primary station fitted change +0.05 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53°F (11°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 1.5" | 1.9" | 28.1 | 0.0 |
| February | 55°F (13°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 1.8" | 3.1" | 23.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 61°F (16°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 1.5" | 2.5" | 17.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 68°F (20°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 53°F (11°C) | 0.6" | 0.4" | 7.2 | 0.0 |
| May | 76°F (25°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.5" | 0.0" | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| June | 87°F (31°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 11.9 |
| July | 90°F (32°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 2.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 16.8 |
| August | 87°F (31°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 2.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 10.7 |
| September | 82°F (28°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 67°F (20°C) | 1.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.7 |
| October | 73°F (23°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4.2 | 0.3 |
| November | 62°F (16°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 0.9" | 0.9" | 19.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 52°F (11°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 1.4" | 1.4" | 28.0 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Prescott works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 90°F by July 5 and hold at or above 90°F on 13 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 131 dates, bottoming at 23°F around December 20.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 1 through July 13, covering 13 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs April 27 to October 25.
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 18, then returns to freezing around November 9, covering 131 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 July 30, when 35% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is June 7 at 7%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 63 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 9 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 34°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Prescott.
Where Prescott Stands Nationally
Daily temperature swings run wider than most of the country, peaking near 34°F between the normal high and low.
Prescott earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 1.9"
5.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.1"
5.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.5"
5.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.4"
3.2 days with precipitation
3.0 days with precipitation
1.6 days with precipitation
9.9 days with precipitation
9.9 days with precipitation
5.9 days with precipitation
3.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.9"
3.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.4"
5.1 days with precipitation
Prescott spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 35% of the annual total and December through February 29%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Prescott has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 37.6°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: August averages 2.8" and June 0.2". The three wettest months together take 44% 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.
How Prescott's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 63 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 16.5" between them, or roughly 0.26 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Snow reaches Prescott, but rarely amounts to much
The normals record 10.2 inches of snow a year here, most likely in February. 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 5 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
April 30
50% probability date
Growing Season
173 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
4,388
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
916
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside AZ closest to Prescott 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 (55°F here).
- Appleton City, MO 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Danville, KY 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Elkton, OR 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Erwin, TN 55°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (16.5" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Spokane, WA 16.4" · 0.0" off
- Wyola, MT 16.5" · 0.0" off
- Pleasant Grove, UT 16.4" · 0.0" off
- Winifred, MT 16.4" · 0.0" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Prescott's climate pattern fits together
heating led · dry · mid swing
Prescott's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 4,388 annual heating degree days against 916 for cooling. Its 37.6°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Prescott's frost-free season lasts about 173 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 Prescott's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 37.6°F. The annual average is 55°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Prescott's cold-season load does not imply a wet climate. Annual precipitation is 16.5 inches, which places the station in PlainClimate's dry range. Annual snowfall totals 10.2 inches. The snowfall and rainfall fields should be read separately rather than inferred from temperature.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Prescott's primary station, so the winter figures are a thirty-year average and not a floor: a single hard season can run well below them. Treat each band as a descriptive range for Prescott, not an official NOAA class or a year-ahead forecast.
Questions about Prescott's climate
How much rain does Prescott get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Prescott get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Prescott? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Prescott's primary station: PRESCOTT (USC00026796). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 0457380). Match rule for Prescott: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Prescott 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.