Fort Defiance, AZ climate
Fort Defiance has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Fort Defiance feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Fort Defiance 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 | 43° | 15° | 1.0" | 6.3" | 6 | 8 | 23° – 36° |
| February | 47° | 20° | 0.8" | 5.9" | 6 | 3 | 28° – 39° |
| March | 56° | 24° | 0.7" | 4.4" | 5 | 1 | 34° – 44° |
| April | 63° | 29° | 0.5" | 2.3" | 4 | 1 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 72° | 37° | 0.5" | 1.1" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| June | 83° | 46° | 0.3" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 86° | 54° | 1.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 1.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 44° | 1.3" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 66° | 33° | 0.9" | 1.5" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| November | 53° | 22° | 0.9" | 4.5" | 5 | 2 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 43° | 15° | 0.9" | 7.8" | 6 | 8 | 22° – 35° |
| Year | 64° | 33° | 11.1" | 33.8" | 73 | 23 |
“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 Fort Defiance
Fort Defiance gets 11 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 23 days of the year.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first one by September 28. That leaves about 121 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 97% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Defiance
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Fort Defiance, 94% of that work is heating and 6% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
How Fort Defiance 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 Fort Defiance averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°). The shift is larger than in 66% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Fort Defiance’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 23° to 36°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Fort Defiance’s climate
What is the coldest month in Fort Defiance?
December, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 15°.
What is the hottest month in Fort Defiance?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 54°. About 24 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Fort Defiance get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Fort Defiance?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 28, and the last spring frost by May 29.
What is the rainiest month in Fort Defiance?
August, with 1.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 11 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Fort Defiance itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Gallup Municipal Airport, NM (22 mi, snow) and Window Rock Airport, AZ (6 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.