Carefree, AZ climate
Carefree has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 102°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Carefree feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Carefree weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 42° | 1.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| February | 67° | 44° | 1.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| March | 73° | 49° | 1.6" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 53° – 68° |
| April | 80° | 54° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| May | 89° | 61° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| June | 99° | 70° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| July | 102° | 77° | 1.0" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 86° – 92° |
| August | 101° | 77° | 1.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 85° – 93° |
| September | 95° | 71° | 1.1" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| October | 85° | 60° | 0.9" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| November | 72° | 50° | 0.9" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| December | 63° | 42° | 1.4" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| Year | 82° | 58° | 12.8" | 0.0" | 38 | 0 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Carefree
Carefree gets 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 38 days a year.
About 313 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 4 and the first one by December 16. That leaves about 313 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 95% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Carefree
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Carefree, 29% of that work is heating and 71% is cooling, so air conditioning is the bigger bill.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Carefree and its neighbors
Carefree borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.5°. Cave Creek has both the coldest January nights (41°) and the hottest July afternoons (103°). Carefree’s January low is 42° and its July high 102°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Carefree compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Carefree averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°). The shift is larger than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Carefree’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 53° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Carefree’s climate
What is the coldest month in Carefree?
December, with a typical high of 63° and a low of 42°.
What is the hottest month in Carefree?
July, with a typical high of 102° and a low of 77°. About 153 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Carefree get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Carefree?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by December 16, and the last spring frost by February 4.
What is the rainiest month in Carefree?
January, with 1.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 13 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Carefree itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Carefree, AZ (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.