Tucson, Arizona climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Tucson's normal year runs from 41°F December nights to 100°F July afternoons, with 10.6 inches of precipitation and less than an inch of snow (0.1 in) a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 21.4°C, December lows of 5°C, July highs of 38°C, 269 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationTucson International Airport
- Station IDUSW00023160
- Location32.13°N 110.96°W
- Elevation2,549 ft (777 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population554,013
On October 23, the normal high in Tucson is 84°F and the normal low 56°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 9%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Tucson.
- Jan 67° 41°
- Feb 69° 43°
- Mar 76° 48°
- Apr 83° 53°
- May 92° 62°
- Jun 101° 71°
- Jul 100° 76°
- Aug 99° 75°
- Sep 95° 70°
- Oct 86° 59°
- Nov 75° 48°
- Dec 66° 41°
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 Tucson each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 100°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 41°F. The most precipitation falls in July (2.21 in), the least in May (0.20 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 | 67°F | 41°F | 53.6°F | 0.84 | 4 | <1 | 4 | 10 h 20 min |
| February | 69°F | 43°F | 56.2°F | 0.84 | 4 | <1 | 2 | 11 h |
| March | 76°F | 48°F | 61.9°F | 0.56 | 3 | 1 | <1 | 12 h |
| April | 83°F | 53°F | 68.1°F | 0.24 | 2 | 8 | <1 | 13 h |
| May | 92°F | 62°F | 76.8°F | 0.20 | 1 | 22 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| June | 101°F | 71°F | 86.1°F | 0.23 | 2 | 29 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| July | 100°F | 76°F | 88.2°F | 2.21 | 9 | 30 | <1 | 14 h |
| August | 99°F | 75°F | 86.9°F | 1.98 | 9 | 29 | <1 | 13 h 20 min |
| September | 95°F | 70°F | 82.8°F | 1.32 | 4 | 26 | <1 | 12 h 20 min |
| October | 86°F | 59°F | 72.6°F | 0.67 | 3 | 13 | <1 | 11 h 30 min |
| November | 75°F | 48°F | 61.5°F | 0.56 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 h 30 min |
| December | 66°F | 41°F | 53.0°F | 0.96 | 4 | <1 | 5 | 10 h |
| Year (annual) | 84°F | 57°F | 70.6°F | 10.61 | 47 | 158 | 12 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°C | 5°C | 12.0°C | 21 mm |
| February | 21°C | 6°C | 13.4°C | 21 mm |
| March | 24°C | 9°C | 16.6°C | 14 mm |
| April | 28°C | 12°C | 20.1°C | 6 mm |
| May | 33°C | 17°C | 24.9°C | 5 mm |
| June | 38°C | 22°C | 30.1°C | 6 mm |
| July | 38°C | 25°C | 31.2°C | 56 mm |
| August | 37°C | 24°C | 30.5°C | 50 mm |
| September | 35°C | 21°C | 28.2°C | 34 mm |
| October | 30°C | 15°C | 22.6°C | 17 mm |
| November | 24°C | 9°C | 16.4°C | 14 mm |
| December | 19°C | 5°C | 11.7°C | 24 mm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023160; 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 Tucson?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in January, February, March, April, November and December. Of those, April has the fewest days with rain (2).
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 USW00023160.
When is the last frost in Tucson?
In Tucson, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after February 5 in half of years and after March 2 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before December 9 in half of years and before November 21 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
- February 51 year in 10 after March 2; 9 in 10 after January 4
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- December 91 year in 10 before November 21; 9 in 10 before January 3
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 307 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 351 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after January 11 in half of springs and before December 26 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Tucson in zones 9a to 9b across its 21 ZIP code areas (9a in 85756, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Tucson's NOAA station is in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches 26°F (30 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 USW00023160; 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.
What hardiness zone is each Tucson ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Tucson's 21 ZIP code areas run from zone 9a to 9b: 5 in 9a and 16 in 9b. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
| ZIP code | Zone | Land in Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| 85701 | 9b | 3.8 km² |
| 85705 | 9b | 26.5 km² |
| 85706 | 9b | 25.9 km² |
| 85707 | 9b | 10.6 km² |
| 85708 | 9b | 7.5 km² |
| 85709 | 9b | 1.0 km² |
| 85710 | 9b | 31.0 km² |
| 85711 | 9b | 22.3 km² |
| 85712 | 9b | 17.6 km² |
| 85713 | 9b | 32.3 km² |
| 85714 | 9b | 11.0 km² |
| 85715 | 9b | 13.1 km² |
| 85716 | 9b | 18.3 km² |
| 85719 | 9b | 20.6 km² |
| 85723 | 9b | 0.6 km² |
| 85730 | 9a | 27.4 km² |
| 85734 | 9a | 3.0 km² |
| 85745 | 9b | 39.2 km² |
| 85747 | 9a | 120.0 km² |
| 85748 | 9a | 16.1 km² |
| 85756 | 9a | 134.0 km² |
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in Tucson?
In a normal year in Tucson, 158 days a year reach 90°F (68 of them 100°F or more), 12 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 47 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 158a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 68a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 12a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- fewer than 1high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 47a normal year
The highest temperature in Tucson's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1894) is 117°F, on June 26, 1990; the lowest is 6°F, on January 7, 1913.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1905, with 24.17 in; the snowiest season is 1971–72, with 6.8 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00023160; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record TUSthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Tucson, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 54°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 59°F; the driest air comes in April (26°F). April is the windiest month (8.2 mph on average), and May has the most clear or nearly clear hours (93%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°F | 38% | 20% | 7.0 mph | 80% | 9% |
| February | 28°F | 35% | 18% | 7.4 mph | 80% | 10% |
| March | 26°F | 25% | 14% | 7.9 mph | 86% | 5% |
| April | 26°F | 18% | 10% | 8.2 mph | 91% | 2% |
| May | 31°F | 17% | 9% | 7.7 mph | 93% | 2% |
| June | 46°F | 23% | 14% | 8.0 mph | 88% | 2% |
| July | 59°F | 41% | 26% | 7.4 mph | 76% | 6% |
| August | 57°F | 42% | 25% | 7.4 mph | 80% | 5% |
| September | 44°F | 31% | 18% | 7.5 mph | 88% | 3% |
| October | 34°F | 32% | 17% | 7.3 mph | 88% | 4% |
| November | 28°F | 37% | 21% | 6.7 mph | 84% | 8% |
| December | 29°F | 45% | 25% | 6.7 mph | 79% | 12% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00023160. 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 Tucson?
Over a year 89% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Tucson, 5.8 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (94%) and July the cloudiest (84%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 39th (with 12 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 86% | 3.6 |
| February | 85% | 4.5 |
| March | 89% | 6.0 |
| April | 93% | 7.4 |
| May | 94% | 8.2 |
| June | 94% | 8.3 |
| July | 84% | 6.9 |
| August | 86% | 6.5 |
| September | 88% | 5.9 |
| October | 92% | 5.1 |
| November | 89% | 3.9 |
| December | 85% | 3.3 |
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 Tucson need?
A normal year in Tucson brings 1,333 heating degree days, 75% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 3,424 cooling degree days, 3.8 times the median (908). Two months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 7,673 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 353 | 1 |
| February | 251 | 5 |
| March | 138 | 42 |
| April | 44 | 137 |
| May | 4 | 370 |
| June | 0 | 634 |
| July | 0 | 721 |
| August | 0 | 679 |
| September | 0 | 532 |
| October | 18 | 256 |
| November | 151 | 46 |
| December | 373 | 1 |
| Year (annual) | 1,333 | 3,424 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023160. 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 Tucson been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 72.9°F, 2.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 70.6°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 71.9°F | +1.3°F | 15.19 |
| 2022 | 71.2°F | +0.6°F | 7.41 |
| 2023 | 72.0°F | +1.4°F | 10.21 |
| 2024 | 72.4°F | +1.8°F | 11.52 |
| 2025 | 72.9°F | +2.3°F | 7.21 |
Over 70 complete years from 1951 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 4.8°F per century (+0.27°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00023160; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Tucson's climate compare?
Tucson is warmer than 68 of the other 96 places with their own NOAA record in Arizona, and wetter than 41. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 70.6°F is warmer than 96%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Tucson is BWh: hot desert. 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 Tucson share this climate record?
4 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.
- Drexel Heights, AZ27,636 people · 6 mi W
- Valencia West, AZ13,834 people · 9 mi W
- South Tucson, AZ4,535 people · 4 mi N
- Summit, AZ4,410 people · 5 mi S
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 Tucson's other NOAA stations record?
5 more NOAA stations keep 1991-2020 normals in or near Tucson. This page uses Tucson International Airport; the others differ by site and elevation, and the linked ones have pages of their own:
| Station | From the center | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson U Of A #1 USC00028817 | 11 mi NW | 2,315 ft | 70.3°F | 39°F | 101°F | 10.8 | 0 | February 11 |
| Tucson (11 mi W) USW00053131 | 18 mi W | 2,733 ft | 69.7°F | 41°F | 99°F | 11.1 | – | February 8 |
| Tucson (17 mi NW) USC00028795 | 20 mi W | 2,561 ft | 70.1°F | 39°F | 102°F | 11.1 | 0 | February 23 |
| Tucson Camp Ave Experiment USC00028796 | 10 mi NW | 2,330 ft | 69.7°F | 37°F | 101°F | 11.7 | 0 | February 20 |
| Tucson Weather Office USC00028815 | 7 mi NW | 2,435 ft | 71.2°F | 42°F | 100°F | 11.6 | 0 | January 20 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Tucson's climate
What is the coldest month in Tucson?
December, with a normal high of 66°F and a normal low of 41°F. The warmest is July (100°F by day, 76°F at night).
Does it snow in Tucson?
Rarely: NOAA's normal is 0.1 inch a year.
What is the rainiest month in Tucson?
July, with 2.21 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is May with 0.20 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Tucson in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Tucson in zones 9a to 9b across its 21 ZIP code areas (9a in 85756, the largest). By the same method at Tucson's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches 26°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 9b.
How late can frost come in Tucson?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after February 5; in one year in ten it comes after March 2. Waiting until March 2 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Tucson in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Arizona climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Tucson U Of A #1, AZ9 miles from this station, 70.3°F a year
- Saguaro National Park, AZ13 miles from this station, 70.0°F a year
- Casas Adobes, AZ14 miles from this station, 69.3°F a year
- Green Valley, AZ17 miles from this station, 68.4°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made