Sonoita, Arizona climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Sonoita's normal year runs from 33°F December nights to 89°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 16.4°C, December lows of 1°C, July highs of 32°C.
- NOAA stationSonoita
- Station IDUSC00027990
- Location31.68°N 110.66°W
- Elevation4,895 ft (1,492 m)
- Population (census place)721
On October 24, the normal high in Sonoita is 76°F and the normal low 48°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Sonoita.
- Jan 60° 33°
- Feb 61° 35°
- Mar 68° 39°
- Apr 74° 44°
- May 82° 51°
- Jun 91° 61°
- Jul 89° 65°
- Aug 87° 64°
- Sep 85° 59°
- Oct 78° 50°
- Nov 68° 41°
- Dec 60° 33°
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 Sonoita each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 89°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 33°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60°F | 33°F | 46.6°F | – | <1 | 11 | 10 h 20 min |
| February | 61°F | 35°F | 48.0°F | – | <1 | 10 | 11 h |
| March | 68°F | 39°F | 53.4°F | – | <1 | 5 | 12 h |
| April | 74°F | 44°F | 59.1°F | – | <1 | 1 | 13 h |
| May | 82°F | 51°F | 66.6°F | – | 3 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| June | 91°F | 61°F | 75.9°F | – | 23 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| July | 89°F | 65°F | 76.9°F | – | 16 | <1 | 14 h |
| August | 87°F | 64°F | 75.1°F | – | 11 | <1 | 13 h 20 min |
| September | 85°F | 59°F | 72.1°F | – | 6 | <1 | 12 h 20 min |
| October | 78°F | 50°F | 64.2°F | – | 1 | 1 | 11 h 30 min |
| November | 68°F | 41°F | 54.7°F | – | <1 | 2 | 10 h 30 min |
| December | 60°F | 33°F | 46.3°F | – | <1 | 13 | 10 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 75°F | 48°F | 61.6°F | – | 60 | 41 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°C | 1°C | 8.1°C |
| February | 16°C | 2°C | 8.9°C |
| March | 20°C | 4°C | 11.9°C |
| April | 23°C | 7°C | 15.1°C |
| May | 28°C | 11°C | 19.2°C |
| June | 33°C | 16°C | 24.4°C |
| July | 32°C | 18°C | 24.9°C |
| August | 30°C | 18°C | 23.9°C |
| September | 30°C | 15°C | 22.3°C |
| October | 26°C | 10°C | 17.9°C |
| November | 20°C | 5°C | 12.6°C |
| December | 15°C | 1°C | 7.9°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Rio Rico (24 miles away), gets 0 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00027990; 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 Sonoita?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in March, April, May, October and November.
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 USC00027990.
When is the last frost in Sonoita?
In Sonoita, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after March 28 in half of years and after April 21 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before November 21 in half of years and before November 5 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
- March 281 year in 10 after April 21; 9 in 10 after March 1
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- November 211 year in 10 before November 5; 9 in 10 before December 7
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 237 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 273 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 1 in half of springs and before December 2 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Sonoita in zone 8a in ZIP code 85637, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Arizona · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00027990; 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 Sonoita?
In a normal year in Sonoita, 60 days a year reach 90°F (1 of them 100°F or more) and 41 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 60a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 41a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 1high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00027990.
How sunny is Sonoita?
Over a year 89% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Sonoita, 5.8 kWh per square metre a day. May is the sunniest month (94%) and July the cloudiest (79%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 87% | 3.8 |
| February | 87% | 4.7 |
| March | 90% | 6.2 |
| April | 94% | 7.6 |
| May | 94% | 8.3 |
| June | 92% | 8.1 |
| July | 79% | 6.5 |
| August | 83% | 6.3 |
| September | 87% | 5.8 |
| October | 92% | 5.2 |
| November | 90% | 4.1 |
| December | 87% | 3.5 |
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 Sonoita need?
A normal year in Sonoita brings 2,639 heating degree days, 51% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,407 cooling degree days, 55% more than the median (908). Five months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 4,761 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 572 | 0 |
| February | 476 | 0 |
| March | 362 | 1 |
| April | 187 | 8 |
| May | 57 | 107 |
| June | 1 | 328 |
| July | 0 | 369 |
| August | 0 | 313 |
| September | 4 | 217 |
| October | 86 | 60 |
| November | 314 | 5 |
| December | 581 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 2,639 | 1,407 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00027990. 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 Sonoita's climate compare?
Sonoita is warmer than 33 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 61.6°F is warmer than 79%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Sonoita's climate
What is the coldest month in Sonoita?
December, with a normal high of 60°F and a normal low of 33°F. The warmest is July (89°F by day, 65°F at night).
Does it snow in Sonoita?
Rarely. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Sonoita's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Rio Rico (24 miles away), records 0 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Sonoita in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Sonoita in zone 8a in ZIP code 85637, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Sonoita?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after March 28; in one year in ten it comes after April 21. Waiting until April 21 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Arizona climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Elgin, AZ11 miles from this station, 59.8°F a year
- Canelo (1 mi NW), AZ11 miles from this station, 58.3°F a year
- Santa Rita Experiment Range, AZ12 miles from this station, 65.3°F a year
- Fort Huachuca Pioneer Airfield, AZ14 miles from this station, 62.7°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made