Climate · Picture Rocks

Picture Rocks, AZ climate

Picture Rocks has mild winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 103°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
103°
141st hottest of 467 Arizona towns
January low
39°
144th mildest of 467 Arizona towns
Rain + melted snow
10 in
220th driest of 467 Arizona towns
Snow a winter
0.0 in
157th least snowy of 359 Arizona towns
A normal year

What a year in Picture Rocks feels like

Winter

68° / 39°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

85° / 53°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Feb 23

Summer

103° / 73°
Typical high / low · 161 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

88° / 57°
Typical high / low · First frost around Dec 6
Best months to be outsideFebMarNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Picture Rocks weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January68°39°0.9" 040 49° – 59°
February71°41°1.0" 040 51° – 62°
March77°46°0.7" 030 55° – 67°
April85°52°0.3" 010 62° – 74°
May94°60°0.2" 010 71° – 81°
June103°70°0.2" 010 81° – 89°
July103°75°1.5" 080 86° – 92°
August102°74°2.1" 080 85° – 93°
September98°69°1.0" 050 79° – 86°
October88°57°0.6" 030 69° – 77°
November77°46°0.7" 020 52° – 68°
December66°38°1.1" 040 48° – 57°
Year86°55°10.1"0.0"450

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Picture Rocks

Picture Rocks gets 10 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 45 days a year.

10 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 98% of U.S. towns
0.0 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 96% of U.S. towns
0 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 94% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
2.1"

Snowfall by month

No measurable snow in a normal year.
Frost & the growing season

About 287 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 23 and the first one by December 6. That leaves about 287 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 94% of U.S. towns.

11
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
0
nights below 0° in a normal year
161
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Picture Rocks

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Picture Rocks, 30% of that work is heating and 70% is cooling, so air conditioning is the bigger bill.

30%heating
1,447 heating degree daysLess heating than 95% of U.S. towns
3,316 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 97% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Picture Rocks

Picture Rocks and its neighbors

Picture Rocks borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.2°. Marana has the coldest January nights (39°) and Avra Valley the hottest July afternoons (104°). Picture Rocks’s January low is 39° and its July high 103°.

Casas Adobes: January low 38°, July high 101°Tucson Mountains: January low 39°, July high 101°Tucson: January low 38°, July high 100°Nelson: January low 39°, July high 104°Marana: January low 39°, July high 102°Avra Valley: January low 39°, July high 104°Picture Rocks: January low 39°, July high 103° Picture RocksMaranaAvra Valley
ColderMilder38° to 39°
Picture Rocks38.7°
Marana38.8° +0.1°
Avra Valley38.9° +0.2°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Picture Rocks compares

Summer heat103° July high
Hotter than 100% of U.S. towns141st hottest of 467 Arizona towns
Winter cold39° January low
Milder than 92% of U.S. towns144th mildest of 467 Arizona towns
Precipitation10" a year
Drier than 98% of U.S. towns220th driest of 467 Arizona towns
Snow0.0" a winter
Less snow than 96% of U.S. towns157th least snowy of 359 Arizona towns
Growing season287 frost-free days
Longer than 94% of U.S. towns129th longest of 412 Arizona towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.4°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Picture Rocks averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°). The shift is larger than in 67% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.0° now 54°, was 53°
🌷 Spring+2.0° now 69°, was 67°
☀️ Summer+1.3° now 88°, was 87°
🍂 Fall+1.5° now 72°, was 71°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Picture Rocks’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. November swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 52° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Picture Rocks’s climate

What is the coldest month in Picture Rocks?

December, with a typical high of 66° and a low of 38°.

What is the hottest month in Picture Rocks?

June, with a typical high of 103° and a low of 70°. About 161 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Picture Rocks get?

Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.

When is the first frost in Picture Rocks?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by December 6, and the last spring frost by February 23.

What is the rainiest month in Picture Rocks?

August, with 2.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 10 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Picture Rocks itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Tucson 17 Nw, AZ (7 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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