Cottonwood, AZ climate
Cottonwood has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Cottonwood feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cottonwood 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 | 59° | 31° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| February | 63° | 34° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| March | 70° | 38° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| April | 77° | 43° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 86° | 50° | 0.4" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| June | 97° | 59° | 0.2" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| July | 99° | 67° | 1.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| August | 97° | 65° | 2.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| September | 92° | 58° | 1.5" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| October | 81° | 47° | 1.1" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| November | 69° | 36° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 30° | 1.3" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| Year | 79° | 46° | 13.7" | 1.0" | 53 | 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 Cottonwood
Cottonwood gets 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 53 days a year.
About 223 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first one by November 10. That leaves about 223 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 83% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Cottonwood
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cottonwood, 55% of that work is heating and 45% is cooling.
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.
Cottonwood and its neighbors
Cottonwood borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.4°. Camp Verde has both the coldest January nights (30°) and the hottest July afternoons (101°). Cottonwood’s January low is 31° and its July high 99°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°). The shift is larger than in 89% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cottonwood’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 47° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Cottonwood’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cottonwood?
December, with a typical high of 58° and a low of 30°.
What is the hottest month in Cottonwood?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 67°. About 128 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Cottonwood get?
About 1 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Cottonwood?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 10, and the last spring frost by March 30.
What is the rainiest month in Cottonwood?
August, with 2.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 14 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cottonwood itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Tuzigoot, AZ (3 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.