PlainClimate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals Incorporated place · exact Census match 1 NOAA station · Primary-station record

Show Low, 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 Show Low's primary NOAA station, SHOW LOW AP.

The climate verdict for Show Low

Dryness leads the climate profile for Show Low, Arizona, with 15.7 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 53°F. At 54/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 31% of scores.

53°F
annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
54/100
comfort score, above 31% of station-mapped location scores
15.7"
annual precipitation · 19" snow
163 days
frost-free growing season

Show Low: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.

Normals record plate

Sheet USC00027855 · Show Low, AZ 53°F mean · 15.7" precip

TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL

Nearest mean-temperature peer: Corona, NM (+ 0.2 °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.

Climate Living Index · Show Low

Show Low: 48/100 · grade D

Show Low publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.

D
48/100Climate Living Index

PlainClimate-derived for Show Low, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 54/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.

Show Low Living Index dimension scores
DimensionStation valueScore
Normal heat + freeze calendar 129 calendar days 59/100 · C
Annual temperature balance 53.1°F · 14.4° from 67.5°F 53/100 · D
Snowfall burden 19.4 inches/year 49/100 · D
Frost-free season 163 days/year 36/100 · F
Precipitation balance 15.7 in · 19.3 from 35 in 31/100 · F

Show Low · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.

Show Low is a temperate Köppen climate: Csa

Coldest-month mean 34.6°F and warmest-month mean 72.2°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
72.2°F
Coldest month
34.6°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 Show Low sits across the climate record

Three NOAA fields for Show Low's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.

Annual temperature
54th percentile warmth
Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
Annual precipitation
Drier than 81%
Show Low'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 Show Low is compact versus 6,861 complete station-years.

How Show Low compares across U.S. station-mapped locations

Show Low's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations

PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals

54 31st percentile score exceeds 31% 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%). This entry sits in this band. 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. This location 0 100 every station-mapped location, bucketed by value
  1. 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
  2. 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
  3. 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
  4. 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
  5. 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
  6. 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). This entry sits in this band.
  7. 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
  8. 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
  9. 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
  10. 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.

Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more station-mapped locations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Show Low's measured station temperature trend

Methodology

Across 40 complete annual observations from 1972 to 2025, SHOW LOW AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.36°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.

Show Low fitted annual mean temperature change, 1972-2025 Fitted station-temperature change from 1972 to 2025, relative to the fitted first year. The linear trend warmed at 0.36 °C per decade. -0.3°C +0.2°C +0.7°C +1.2°C +1.7°C +2.2°C 198020002020
  • Show Low primary station fitted change +0.36 °C/decade
Source: NOAA GHCN-M v4, quality-controlled monthly mean temperature. PlainClimate fits ordinary least squares over complete calendar years; minimum 30 years, record must reach 2015 or later.

Monthly Temperatures

Average daily high and low temperatures by month

Month Avg High Avg Low Mean
January 46°F (8°C) 24°F (-5°C) 35°F (2°C)
February 51°F (11°C) 27°F (-3°C) 39°F (4°C)
March 58°F (14°C) 31°F (0°C) 45°F (7°C)
April 65°F (18°C) 37°F (3°C) 51°F (11°C)
May 74°F (23°C) 45°F (7°C) 59°F (15°C)
June 84°F (29°C) 54°F (12°C) 69°F (20°C)
July 85°F (30°C) 59°F (15°C) 72°F (22°C)
August 83°F (28°C) 58°F (14°C) 70°F (21°C)
September 78°F (26°C) 52°F (11°C) 65°F (18°C)
October 68°F (20°C) 41°F (5°C) 54°F (12°C)
November 56°F (14°C) 31°F (-1°C) 44°F (7°C)
December 46°F (8°C) 23°F (-5°C) 35°F (1°C)

The year, day by day

Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 86°F around June 29, short of 90°F on every date, while 129 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 22°F near December 26.

Normal daily high and low temperature for Show Low, January through December Peaks 86°F around June 29. Bottoms 22°F around December 26. 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95 freezing JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal daily high and low across the calendar year. NOAA 1991–2020 daily normals, SHOW LOW AP.

The freezing stretch

The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 20, then returns to freezing around November 13, covering 129 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 4, when 49% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is June 4 at 10%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 82 wet dates a year.

The widest day

June 6 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 31°F between the normal high and the normal low.

Look up any date

Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Show Low.

Where Show Low Stands Nationally

A drier-than-most normal water year — around 16 inches, below what four out of five ranked stations collect.

Show Low 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

January 1.4"

Snow: 4.0"

6.9 days with precipitation

February 1.2"

Snow: 3.8"

6.5 days with precipitation

March 0.9"

Snow: 2.3"

5.7 days with precipitation

April 0.6"

Snow: 1.6"

4.1 days with precipitation

May 0.6"

4.3 days with precipitation

June 0.4"

2.9 days with precipitation

July 2.4"

12.9 days with precipitation

August 3.0"

14.9 days with precipitation

September 1.4"

7.4 days with precipitation

October 1.4"

Snow: 0.4"

5.6 days with precipitation

November 1.2"

Snow: 1.9"

4.7 days with precipitation

December 1.4"

Snow: 5.4"

6.5 days with precipitation

Show Low runs a summer-peaked wet season

37% of Show Low's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is August at 3.0", on a 37.6°F seasonal spread. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.

Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.

Show Low is dry, and what does fall arrives gently

Only about 82 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 23% of the calendar, and they carry 15.7" between them. At roughly 0.19 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 15 wet days; the driest is June at about 3.

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.

Winter brings real snow to Show Low

Show Low averages 19.4 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 8 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.

NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.

Frost Dates & Growing Season

First Fall Freeze

October 15

50% probability date

Last Spring Freeze

May 5

50% probability date

Growing Season

163 days

Heating & Cooling Degree Days

Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling

Heating Degree Days

4,926

Higher = more heating needed

Cooling Degree Days

613

Higher = more cooling needed

Warmest Month

July

Coldest Month

December

Nationwide similar cities

Other rankable U.S. places outside AZ closest to Show Low 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 (53°F here).

Closest by annual precipitation

Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (15.7" here), excluding temperature-peer places.

Arizona climate overview →

Snow and freeze rhythm

When cold and snow define Show Low

heating led · dry · mid swing

Show Low's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 4,926 annual heating degree days against 613 for cooling. Its 37.6°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.

Show Low's frost-free season lasts about 163 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.

  1. 1. Show Low coldest normal

    December

    The monthly mean of 35°F (1°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.

  2. 2. Show Low typical freeze period

    January through December

    The station reports average freezing days from January through December.

  3. 3. Show Low snow peak

    December

    Show Low averages 19.4 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.

Questions about Show Low's climate

How much snow does Show Low get?
Show Low averages 19.4 inches of snow a year, most of it in December, within 15.7 inches of total precipitation. Snowfall is depth on the ground; the precipitation total counts its liquid equivalent, so the two are not additive.
How cold does Show Low get in winter?
Show Low records about 121 days a year with a low at or below freezing, with December the coldest month on the normals, and an annual average daily low of 40°F.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Show Low?
Show Low has 4,926 heating degree days and 613 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. Degree-day definitions: reading weather data.

Data Sources

Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Show Low's primary station: SHOW LOW AP (USC00027855). 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 0466470). Match rule for Show Low: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate

On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Show Low 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.