Does it snow in Arizona?

If you consider yourself a lover of desert climate and landscapes, then, undoubtedly, Arizona is the ideal place for you. Located in the Western United States, the state of Arizona stands out for its impressive geological formations and extraordinary canyons that are well worth visiting.

Visit Arizona and enjoy incredible places like the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Barringer Crater, Chelly Canyon, Petrified Forest National Park, or Havasu Falls. Undoubtedly, it will be an adventure worth living at least once.

Do not forget that if you visit the cities of Flagstaff, Prescott, Saint Johns, Holbrook, or Bisbee in Arizona, during the winter season, you'll be able to enjoy the winter snowfalls.

Snow in Arizona? ❄

Contrary to popular belief, Arizona does not have an arid or desert climate throughout its territory but instead exhibits an amalgamation of different climatic conditions.

Thus, the metropolis of southern Arizona (Yuma, Nogales, Tucson, and Bisbee, for example) are characterized by having a desert climate, while the northcentral cities of the state (Flagstaff and Prescott, in particular) exhibit much cooler weather, characterized by cold winters and mild summers.

In fact, Flagstaff (Coconino County) and Prescott (Yavapai County) are the ideal cities to enjoy the snowfall if you are passing through Arizona during the winter season.

The climate of Arizona ⛅

ARIZONA WEATHER

Throughout its more than 295,250 km², the state of Arizona boasts a very varied geological structure. Due to these variations in altitude, the state of Arizona presents a variety of climatic conditions throughout its territory.

Thus, for example, this state has maximum (127.4 °F/ 53 °C, June 29, 1994) and minimum (-40 °F / -40 °C, January 7, 1971) temperature records that are considerably high and low, respectively.

Climate characteristics of Southern Arizona

• Average minimum temperature (autumn-spring): 59 °F (15 °C).
• Range of minimum and maximum temperatures (winter): 39.2 °F (4 °C) and 75.2 °F (24 °C).
• Range of minimum and maximum temperatures (summer): 89.6 °F (32 °C) and 118.4 °F (48 °C); in strictly desert areas, temperatures can exceed 125.6 °F (52 °C).
• Highest temperature recorded: 127.4 °F ( 53 °C) | June 29, 1994, Lake Havasu City, Mohave County, Arizona, U.S.

Characteristics of the climate of the northern third of Arizona

• Average annual temperature: <64.4 °F (18 °C).
• Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures (summer): 106 °F (41.1 °C) and 51 °F (10.5 °C).
• Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures (winter): 66 °F (18.8 °C) and 17 °F (-8.3 °C).
• Lowest recorded temperature: -104 °F (-75.5 °C) | January 7, 1971, Fort Apache Indian Reservation, Apache County, Arizona, U.S.

Precipitation (rain and snow)

• Average annual rainfall: 12.7 inches (32.2 cm).
• Average annual snowfall: unknown.

When does it snow in Arizona? 🌨

Does it snow in Arizona in October?

Yes, it might snow in October. Later this month, there is a (slight) chance of seeing short-lived snowfall in the cities of Flagstaff and Saint Johns.

Does it snow in Arizona in November?

Yes, it might snow in November. However, in the city of Flagstaff alone, snowfall is frequent. Likewise, there is minimal chance of seeing snowfall in November in Prescott, Saint Johns, Holbrook, Bisbee, and Kingman.

Does it snow in Arizona in December?

Yes, it might snow in December. During this month, the snowfalls intensify in the cities of Flagstaff, Prescott, Saint Johns, and Holbrook. On the other hand, these remain practically the same in Bisbee and Kingman. Also, in the cities of Clifton, Globe, and Nogales, the first snowfalls are recorded.

Does it snow in Arizona in January?

Yes, it might snow in January. As usual, January is the month with the highest levels of snow accumulation in Arizona. In the same way, as in the previous month, the snowfall intensifies in Flagstaff, Prescott, Saint Johns, and Holbrook (surpassing even the 7 inches of snow accumulation in the first of these cities).

Does it snow in Arizona in February?

Yes, it might snow in February. This is the second month with the highest accumulation levels in Arizona. Compared to the previous month, snowfall decreased between 10% and 60%. February is the last month of winter-spring when there is a chance of seeing snowfall in the cities of Clifton, Globe, and Kingman.

Does it snow in Arizona in March?

Yes, it might snow in March. Once the winter is over, snowfall remains considerably higher than the previous month in cities such as Flagstaff and Prescott (and is almost completely gone in Saint Johns, Holbrook, and Nogales).

Does it snow in Arizona in April?

Yes, it might snow in April. The chances of seeing snowfall in Arizona during this month are minimal. Only in the city of Flagstaff are these possibilities relatively high.

Does it snow in Arizona in May?

Yes, it might snow in May. Although, hopefully, only in the city of Flagstaff.

Where does it snow in Arizona? 🌨

Taking the month of January as a reference because it is the one that exhibits the highest levels of snowfall during the winter, we present below a table in which we directly answer the question in this section (Where does it snow in Arizona?):

How much does it snow in Arizona? 🌨

Next, we expose a comparison chart of the average snow accumulation throughout a sliding 31-day period (centered on the day in question) in twenty cities of Arizona (Flagstaff, Prescott, Saint Johns, Holbrook, Bisbee, Clifton, Globe, Nogales, Kingman, Safford, Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria, and Yuma):